Minister of Health, Dr. Fahrettin Koca, delivered a statement at the Ministry and told reporters that a suspected case's test came back positive.
Noting that neighboring and European countries could not take the measures Turkey took, Koca added, "We have been more and more resilient with our strategy and action plan against the epidemic."
Pointing out the inevitability of a global pandemic, Koca said:
"My being here is the guarantee of our transparency. I would like to give you an upsetting but not frightening news. Earlier today, the test results of a suspected case came back positive.
The diagnosis was made as a result of the investigation of the cause of high fever and cough. The patient was transmitted the disease in Europe. The male patient is completely isolated and is in good general condition. All of his family members and close contacts are under observation and considered suspected cases. I will not be sharing detailed information to respect the patient's confidentiality. This is the first case in Turkey. According to data, this was an early diagnosis."
"We planned the fight against the coronavirus"
Adding that they were warning the world while preparing for the fight against the coronavirus, the Minister said:
"We want the Turkish people to contribute to this fight by following the 14-day and 14-step protection rule. A single case or a few cases should not be considered as an epidemic. This only means that the virus has crossed our borders. It was a high probability and it happened. What we need to do now is to put our lives in order by taking precautions. We will wage a national struggle against this global problem. The risk is tangible and measures are simple. The coronavirus is not stronger than the measures we will take. A quarantined patient would not constitute a risk or threat to the whole society."
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