Turkey's daily COVID-19 deaths at record high 217 - minister

Turkey's daily coronavirus deaths rose to a record 217 in the last 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing the country's total death toll to 15,531, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, and added there had been more than 1.5 million coronavirus cases in total. For four months, Ankara only reported daily symptomatic cases, but has reported all cases since Nov. 25.

Turkey's daily coronavirus deaths rose to a record 217 in the last 24 hours on Wednesday, bringing the country's total death toll to 15,531, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, and added there had been more than 1.5 million coronavirus cases in total.

For four months, Ankara only reported daily symptomatic cases, but has reported all cases since Nov. 25. On Wednesday, Koca said the government would publish historical data for all cases starting Thursday.

"Our positive case numbers exceeded. Of these, 550,000 went through a visible sickness," Koca told a news conference after meeting the government's coronavirus science council, and added there were 31,712 new coronavirus cases, including asymptomatic ones, in the last 24 hours.