Turkey logs nearly 25,000 new COVID-19 cases as lockdown sets in
People wait for a bus on a deserted main road in Ankara, Turkey, April 30, 2021. (AP Photo)


Turkey logged over 24,700 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Monday, the fourth day of a nationwide lockdown that includes stay-at-home orders, closed schools and shuttered many businesses.

New daily cases have been falling since they topped 60,000 last month, prompting the government to implement one of the strictest lockdowns since the first wave of the pandemic hit the country in March 2020.

The overall COVID-19 tally now stands at over 4.9 million, while the nationwide death toll rose by 347 in the past day to reach 41,191.

As many as 35,438 more patients won the battle against the virus, taking the total number of recoveries past 4.51 million.

More than 47.98 million coronavirus tests have been conducted to date, with 243,648 done since Sunday.

The latest figures show that the number of COVID-19 patients in critical condition stands at 3,438.

Turkey has so far administered over 23.47 million coronavirus vaccine jabs since a nationwide immunization campaign began on Jan. 14.

More than 14 million people have received their first dose, while over 9.44 million people have been fully vaccinated.

Turks are required to stay mostly at home under the nationwide full lockdown that started last Thursday and will last until May 17 to curb a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths.