Turkey has recorded nearly 1.75 million cases since the start of the pandemic, the health ministry said on Thursday, after releasing a significantly lower toll including only patients requiring medical care.

Officials had previously only published the number of coronavirus “patients” but last month returned to publishing the total number of cases.

The Turkish Medical Association had warned that the daily number of cases was higher than the government’s figures, an average of around 30,000 a week.

The health ministry said on Thursday there were 1,748,567 cases since the first confirmed infection in March, jumping from 955,956 announced earlier in the day.

The number of daily deaths also reached a record high on Thursday of 220, pushing the total to 15,751.

As the outbreak worsens, Ankara ordered the return of weekend lockdowns last weekend and there is discussion of a possible four-day curfew during the New Year period.

Schools have been closed since November while restaurants and cafes can only provide takeaway service.

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