Turkey's coronavirus death toll jumps to 75, with 1,196 new cases - health minister

Turkey's death toll from the coronavirus increased by 16 to 75 on Thursday, as the number of confirmed cases rose by 1,196 to 3,629, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

He said on Twitter that 7,286 tests had been conducted in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of tests carried out in Turkey to around 40,000.

The minister said that the patients and their contact circles have been isolated.

"I persistently invite you to implement the measures [against coronavirus]," he said.

While most victims of the virus worldwide were among the elderly, health officials fear they may have contracted it from the young carriers who may be asymptomatic.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, in December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 175 countries and regions, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 521,000 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll over 23,500 and around 122,000 recoveries.

Italy, China, Iran, and Spain continue to be the most affected countries.

Despite the rising number of cases, a vast majority of those infected with the virus suffer mild symptoms and recover.