Turkey's COVID-19 deaths returns to April levels

Turkish health ministry statistics show 93 people died in one day of COVID-19 amid a surge in infections, bringing the daily death toll to numbers last seen in April.

In figures released late Friday, the health ministry also reported 3,045 new confirmed cases among people presenting symptoms. Turkey has been under criticism for only releasing the number of symptomatic cases in its figures since late July and the total number of confirmed infections is unclear.

The figures also show an upward trend in the number of critically ill patients. The total death toll has reached 11,326.

Turkey lifted temporary weekend lockdowns in late May and reopened travel, restaurants and other businesses. Officials have been urging people to stay at home but new restrictions so far have been limited to curtailing the movement of senior citizens in Istanbul and Ankara, closing businesses at 10 p.m. and banning smoking in crowded public places across the country.

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