Turkey reports more than 1,740 daily coronavirus cases

Turkey registered 1,743 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, according to official data released on Friday.

The Health Ministry said seven virus-related fatalities and 2,239 recoveries were also recorded in the same period, while 135,316 tests were done.

To stem the spread of COVID-19, Turkey has administered more than 147.53 million vaccine doses since it launched an immunization drive in January 2021.

Over 57.82 million people have received their first jabs, while more than 53.03 million are fully vaccinated.

Last month, Turkey lifted its longtime indoor mask mandate, except in public transport and hospitals.

More than 516.4 million cases and over 6.24 million deaths have now been reported in at least 192 countries and regions, according to latest figures from the US-based Johns Hopkins University.

However, new estimates from the World Health Organization indicate COVID-19 killed 13.3 to 16.6 million people in 2020 and 2021, more than double the official death toll.

Most of the fatalities were in Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas.

The WHO report, which was released on Thursday, included deaths associated with COVID-19 directly, due to the disease, and indirectly due to the pandemic's impact on health systems and society.