ANKARA
Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.
It seems Turkey's virus fate has taken a positive turn. For the past two days, the number of recovered patients are higher than that of new confirmed cases, bringing hope in the country for the days ahead. The country’s health minister on Saturday confirmed 106 more deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,706.
The total number of registered coronavirus cases surged to 107,773 as 2,861 more people tested positive for the virus.
In addition, 3,845 patients were discharged Saturday and the total number of recoveries rose to 25,582.
Coronavirus continues doing damage
The global death toll from the novel coronavirus crossed the 202,000 mark, while the number of cases neared 2.9 million, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University. Additionally, more than 817,000 people worldwide have recovered from COVID-19.
The US is still the most affected country in the world, where deaths surpassed 53,000 and confirmed cases exceeded 939,000.
Italy, one of the worst-hit countries in Europe by the coronavirus, reported 415 new deaths, bringing its tally to 26,384.
Spain’s Health Ministry announced 378 more deaths from the virus, pushing the total number of fatalities to 22,902. Spain saw less than 400 virus deaths on the 2nd day in a row.
Meanwhile, a downward trend continued each day of this week in France. There were 378 fatalities during the past 24 hours. Since the start of the outbreak, the total number of deaths in hospitals stands at 14,050 while 8,564 people succumbed to the disease in nursing homes.
The UK's coronavirus death toll hit 20,319 with 813 new fatalities.
Russia confirmed the country's highest single-day death toll on Saturday, with 66 fatalities, bringing the tally to 681. And with 5,966 additional cases, 74,558 people overall in the country have contracted the virus.
State media reported an additional 76 fatalities in Iran and the death toll rose to 5,650.
Countries' efforts to curb the virus also continue around the world, with Argentina and Lebanon extending the virus restrictions until May 10, according to the authorities.
Turkey continues to evacuate its citizens around the world as the deputy foreign minister announced that the country is bringing 1,411 citizens from the US, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal and Somalia.
Also, Turkey will send an air ambulance to bring home one of its citizens who was not treated in Sweden, although he tested positive for the coronavirus.
Other latest developments
Since Muslim holy month of Ramadan started, Fener Greek Patriarch Bartholomew, the Istanbul-based leader of many of the world’s Orthodox Christians, greeted the Ramadan with wishes of health, peace and tranquility.
Despite the holy month, conflicts, clashes continue in Libya as well as Yemen. While Haftar militias continue to attack civil settlements in the south of the capital Tripoli, in Yemen, the Southern Transitional Council declared self-governance and a state of emergency in Aden and southern provinces.
Meanwhile, Turkey's anti-terrorism operations continue in Syria and Iraq, where more than 32 YPG/PKK terrorists were neutralized on Saturday.
From the football world, Poland is set to resume the 2019-2020 football season at the end of May.
Pakistan's state-run TV launched the first episode of popular Turkish drama Resurrection: Ertugrul to coincide with the start of Ramadan.
