ANKARA

Turkey announced new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus Sunday as it continued efforts to curb its spread.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter that 12 more people have been diagnosed with the virus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 18.

He said that among these, two people who had contact with the first case had tested positive for the virus.

Koca also disclosed where some of the patients had originated from.

He said seven of the confirmed cases had come from Europe and three from the U.S.

"Every detected case and every isolation is a security measure for all of us," he noted.

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 141 countries and territories.

The global death toll from the virus has surpassed 5,700, with more than 152,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.