Turkey recorded 11,322 new coronavirus cases and 68 daily deaths due to COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed on Thursday.

According to the Health Ministry, more than 137,000 coronavirus tests were carried out over the past day.

With Thursday’s figures, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Turkey since the outbreak first began increased to 2,746,158 and the death toll reached 28,839.

The ministry data also showed that 7,873 people had been declared recovered, increasing the total number of recoveries to 2,601,137.

According to the data, Turkey currently has around 145,000 active cases.

Following a surge of COVID-19 cases in the fall, Turkey reintroduced weekend curfews and closed schools in late November to curb the rise in daily infections. Following the strict measures, the cases rapidly fell from record highs of around 30,000 to as low as below 6,000.

On Monday, Turkey started easing weekend curfews, while continuing weeknight curfews to stem the virus's spread. The country also allowed some students to return to classrooms for face-to-face education and allowed restaurants to serve customers, based on local risk assessments.