Turkey reports 12 more coronavirus deaths, bringing tally to 21

Turkey imposed a curfew on Saturday for its senior citizens and banned restaurants from serving at tables, extending measures against the coronavirus outbreak as the death toll more than doubled to 21 from nine a day earlier.

The number of confirmed cases rose 277 to 947, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, adding that a total of 2,953 tests had been conducted in the previous 24 hours.
Minister Koca underlined in Twitter post that the coronavirus deaths were of elderly people.

"Let's warn our elderly. The risk of death increases with age. They should abide by the restrictions on leaving home," he concluded.

Turkish interior ministry announced late on Saturday that all restaurants, pastry shops, and other similar food-service establishments can only offer takeaway service and delivery.

Turkey on Saturday suspended flights from 46 more countries and banned picnics and barbecues. It had already banned flights from 22 countries, closed schools, cafes and bars, banned mass prayers and indefinitely postponed matches in its main sports leagues.

The new flight ban applies, among others, to Canada and the northern part of Cyprus.

COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to at least 167 countries and regions, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

Out of more than 299,000 confirmed cases, the death toll now nears 13,000, while over 91,500 have recovered.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who become infected suffer only mild symptoms and recover.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.