Turkey reports over 65,200 new COVID-19 cases

Turkey confirmed 65,236 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, the Health Ministry said.

The ministry reported 141 coronavirus-related deaths and 38,242 recoveries over the past day. As many as 403,104 virus tests were done in the past 24 hours.

To stem the infection, the country administered more than 136.89 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched an immunization drive in January 2021, according to the latest figures.

More than 57.13 million people have gotten their first jab, while over 51.93 million are fully vaccinated. Booster shots have been given to more than 21.95 million people.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Twitter reiterated the importance of individual measures, reminding that the omicron variant transmits fast in the country.

"The mask should be worn to cover the mouth and nose. More attention should be paid to social distancing," Koca said.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed over 5.49 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with more than 307.5 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University.