Turkey on Monday confirmed 1,003 more recoveries from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 217,497, according to Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. Meanwhile, experts warn holidaymakers returning home after the Qurban Bayram holiday, also known as Eid al-Adha, to proceed with caution.

Koca said on Twitter that 19 new deaths were reported and 995 people had contracted COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the tally to 233,851. He warned that the number of cases was on the rise in some provinces that had previously brought infections under control, due to a lack of necessary precautions, calling the development "worrying." The country's death toll from the disease has risen to 5,747. Health care professionals have conducted more than 41,301 tests for COVID-19 over the past day, raising the total tally to over 4.92 million.

Professor Tevfik Özlü, a member of the Health Ministry’s Coronavirus Science Board, said holidaymakers who wrapped up a four-day Qurban Bayram holiday on Monday should stick to the "14-day rule." He was referring to the period recommended for those returning from risky areas for self-isolation. "People should check themselves and their immediate family and should go to the closest health center if they develop symptoms," he said. Among those symptoms is the loss of smell and taste, throat ache, headache, fever, coughing, muscle pains, diarrhea, fatigue and breathing problems.

The holiday, which officially started on Friday, saw thousands of people leaving big cities to head to popular vacation resorts in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions. Droves of holidaymakers also headed to inner regions of Turkey from big cities in the west to visit their relatives on the occasion. Özlü said vacationers came into contact with a large number of people during the holiday. "It is important for them to have an early diagnosis if they are infected. Early diagnosis is vital for a faster recovery and better contact tracing. You may also be asymptomatic and this does not definitely mean you are not infected and will not infect others," Özlü told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Tuesday. He called upon returning holidaymakers to heed the rules of keeping a social distance of at least 1.5 meters (5 feet) and properly wear protective masks.