Turkey discusses COVID-19 efforts with Japanese envoy

ANKARA

Turkey and Japan’s envoy to Ankara discussed efforts to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak, the country’s health minister said Tuesday.

Also discussed were works that can be developed "with the common benefit principle of humanity," said Fahrettin Koca about his talk with Akio Miyajima.

"We will be in knowledge and experience synergy," Koca added, who received the envoy at the ministry in Ankara.

Thirty-seven people have died from the virus in Turkey, with 1,529 cases confirmed.

Japan has 1,140 cases with death toll there standing at 42, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December the virus known as COVID-19 has spread to at least 169 countries and regions. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a pandemic.

The number of confirmed cases worldwide is more than 407,400 with the death toll exceeding 18,200 while greater than 104,000 have recovered, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.