Site icon Turkish Minute

Turkish citizen tests positive for coronavirus after returning from Umrah

Municipal workers are pictured in empty white-tiled area surrounding the Kaaba, inside Mecca's Grand Mosque. - Saudi Arabia today emptied Islam's holiest site for sterilisation over fears of the new coronavirus, an unprecedented move after the kingdom suspended the year-round umrah pilgrimage. (Photo by ABDEL GHANI BASHIR / AFP)

Turkey on Saturday announced one more COVID-19 case, caused by the novel coronavirus, raising its tally to six.

“Unfortunately, the coronavirus test of a citizen who returned from Umrah in the last week turned out to be positive,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

Umrah is the Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca that Muslims can undertake at any time of the year.

Stressing the importance of a 14-day quarantine, Koca warned those who had returned from overseas to avoid contact with others.

He said passing medical screening does not mean zero risk.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus has spread to at least 123 countries and territories.

The global death toll from the virus has surpassed 5,300 with more than 142,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

A vast majority of those who become infected recover from the illness.

Exit mobile version