Turkey's coronavirus death toll climbs to 37

Turkey confirmed seven more deaths from coronavirus late on Monday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 37.

More than 20,000 coronavirus tests have been carried out so far on people suspected of contracting the virus, and 293 tested positive in the last 24 hours, bringing the tally of infections to 1,529, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter.

In a news briefing earlier Monday, Koca said most of the victims in Turkey to date have been elderly, with two aged 50-60, one age 91, and all the others older than 61.

Urging young people to refrain from being complacent, however, he added on Twitter: 

You’re not excluded from the epidemic. Slow down your lives. Don’t enter risky environments. Don’t take the risk home. Stay home.

While most victims of the virus worldwide have been older, health officials fear they may have contracted it from younger carriers who may be asymptomatic.