By Firdevs Bulut
ANKARA (AA) – Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic and other news in Turkey and around the world.
– Coronavirus in Turkey
Turkey has conducted over 4.53 million tests to diagnose COVID-19 infections, the country's health minister said Saturday.
The overall count of COVID-19 tests in Turkey rose to 4,532,672 million, with 43,312 new diagnoses run in the past 24 hours.
As many as 1,103 people recovered from the virus in the last 24 hours, said Fahrettin Koca.
It registered 921 new cases, bringing the tally to 225,173, he added.
– Other developments in Turkey
The Turkish Coast Guard rescued more than 900 asylum seekers in the recent month who were pushed back by the Greek Coast Guard into Turkish territorial waters in the Aegean Sea.
A square-shaped area in the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, where emperors were coronated, was not carpeted to respect historical legacy, according to Istanbul's top culture and tourism official. The first prayers since its official reconversion into a mosque were held Friday in the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque.
Turkish security forces neutralized a wanted PKK/KCK terrorist in eastern Turkey, the Interior Ministry said.
Greece condemned the burning of the Turkish flag during protests Friday in Thessaloniki against the reopening of the Hagia Sophia. The statement came after Turkey slammed Greek authorities for showing “hostility towards Islam and Turkey under the pretext of reacting to the opening of the Hagia Sophia Mosque to worship.”
Results of two phase COVID-19 vaccine trials published earlier this week are very encouraging and promising, according to a Turkish medical expert.
– Coronavirus outbreak across world
Since originating in China last December, COVID-19 has claimed more than 643,000 lives in 188 countries and regions.
Nearly 16 million cases have been reported worldwide, while more than 9 million patients have recovered, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.
The US surpassed 4.1 million cases as infections spike there, according to Johns Hopkins.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he tested negative for the novel coronavirus, following weeks of quarantine after being infected.
Coronavirus cases in Hong Kong hit another record high, according to authorities. China’s National Health Commission said 123 more infections were recorded in Hong Kong, raising the overall count to 2,372.
Pakistan recorded 24 deaths from the novel coronavirus, the lowest single-day toll from virus in the last three months, the Health Ministry said.
China will give a $1 billion loan to Latin American and Caribbean countries for them to gain access to its COVID-19 vaccine, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a virtual meeting with regional nations.
– Global developments
Tunisia’s Interior Minister Hisham El-Mechishi will form the country’s government, according to the official news agency.
Somalia congratulated Turkey on the reopening Hagia Sophia as a mosque after 86 years.
Turkey’s Besiktas finished the Turkish Super Lig 2019-2020 season in third place after shutting out Genclerbirligi 3-0 in Ankara.
