Turkish Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül has announced that prosecutors across 66 cities have launched investigations into 750 people for various offenses in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus, the Diken news website reported on Monday.
“Investigations are continuing into 568 people for manipulative news and posts on social media, eight people for offending our citizens over the age of 65; 85 people for violating quarantine measures; and 89 people for illegal stockpiling and the black market sales of medical supplies,” Gül said.
As regards ministry staff, he said 12 judges and 55 other employees have thus far tested positive for COVID-19, adding that they are in good health.
As of April 5 Turkey officially reported 27,069 cases of COVID-19 with a death toll of 574.
First seen in the Chinese city of Wuhan, COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world, infecting nearly 1,300,000 people worldwide and killing more than 70,000. In the meantime, some 272,000 people were treated.