The number of people that died of the novel coronavirus in Turkey in the last 24 hours stands at 34, bringing the total tally to 4,431, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Wednesday.

The total number of cases reached 159,797 with 1,035 new infections reported in the past day. Meanwhile, 1,286 COVID-19 patients recovered, bringing the toll to 122,793.

The minister pointed out that the data shows that Turkey is able to stabilize the risk. "More freedom depends on full compliance with the measures," Koca said referring to the end of the four-day curfew across Turkey during Ramadan Bayram.

The curfew for people under the age of 20 and above 65 remains active, Koca stressed Wednesday morning as soon as the general curfew was lifted.

Koca, along with other experts, has repeatedly warned citizens in the past that the easing of measures did not mean the threat of the virus was over; but rather meant the beginning of a new lifestyle to which citizens would have to adapt.

Turkey ranks ninth in a tally by Johns Hopkins University but experts believe the number of infections globally could be much higher than reported.