Turkey records 29 deaths, 987 new COVID-19 cases

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Police officers wearing face masks for protection against the new coronavirus, patrol during a four-day curfew declared by the government in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus, in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, May 24, 2020. Turkey’s senior citizens were allowed to leave their homes for a third time as the country continues to ease some coronavirus restrictions. (AP Photo/Seyit Ali Unal)
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A man sunbathes during a four-day curfew declared by the government in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus, outside Istanbul, Sunday, May 24, 2020. Turkey’s senior citizens were allowed to leave their homes for a third time as the country continues to ease some coronavirus restrictions. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s health minister announced 29 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 4,369.

Fahrettin Koca also tweeted Monday that 987 new infections were confirmed in the past 24 hours. The total number of infections has reached 157,814.

More than 120,000 people have recovered and people needing intensive care continued on a downward trend, according to the health ministry statistics. The ministry has said its treatment protocol includes the early use of antivirals hydroxychloroquin and favipiravir, as well as the antibiotic azithromycin, along with high frequency oxygen.

The World Health Organization on Monday said it was temporarily dropping hydroxychloroquin — the anti-malarial drug U.S. President Trump is taking — from its global study into experimental COVID-19 treatments to review its safety.

Turkey ranks ninth in a tally by Johns Hopkins University but experts believe the number of infections globally could be much higher than reported.

Turkey’s 83 million citizens are on the third day of a four-day nationwide lockdown.

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The Associated Press