Turkey: Accuracy rate of COVID-19 testing kits over 90%

ANKARA

Turkey's health minister said on Wednesday that the accuracy rate of COVID-19 testing kits was over 90% in the country.

Addressing a news conference following a meeting of the country's Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board, Fahrettin Koca said the number of fresh cases dropped 15% in the 10 days after Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, due to strict restrictions in place.

"We need to make use of the time well and pass to the second wave of the virus that the world is anticipating," he said, stressing that the risk continues.

He said Turkey may develop a vaccine in the first quarter of the next year.

"Turkey is in contact with China and Russia on a COVID-19 vaccine and is closely following the developments and cooperations."

Turkey has so far reported 227,982 coronavirus cases, 211,561 recoveries and 5,645 fatalities.

The global pandemic has claimed over 661,300 lives in 188 countries and regions since it has originated in Wuhan, China last December.

The US, Brazil, Russia and India are currently the worst-hit countries in the world.

More than 16.78 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 9.79 million, shows US-based Johns Hopkins University's data.