“Alms-giving helps keep disasters and catastrophes at bay,” Yeni Şafak quoted Hakki Tore, a former lawmaker, as saying. “Our country is in the midst of a trial.”

The ritual was carried out in seven towns in the majority-Kurdish province, and the meat was distributed to the needy in nearby villages, Tore told Yeni Şafak.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Friday announced the number of new coronavirus cases had risen by 2,069, bringing the total number of people diagnosed to 5,698. The death toll of people with the virus in Turkey rose to 92, after 17 people died on Friday.

People in Turkey have resorted to different measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, from prayers to drone deliveries.

Reporter’s code: 50101