Turkey Declares Night and Weekend Curfews as Pandemic Rages On
Turkey Declares Night and Weekend Curfews as Pandemic Rages On
(Bloomberg) -- Turkey announced tighter restrictions on the movement of citizens and commercial activity, as new coronavirus case counts hover at about 30,000 and daily deaths have reached record levels.
“We’re trying to find methods that protect the people’s health and also allow the continuation of production, commerce, employment and social life,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday, speaking after a weekly cabinet meeting. Nationwide curfews will be imposed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays, while for weekends they’ll start at 9 p.m. on Fridays and end at 5 a.m. on Mondays, he said.
Turkey reported 31,219 coronavirus cases Monday, the highest level in the past six days that the government’s been publishing the figure. Before that, the government was only announcing the number of new “patients,” which excludes asymptomatic cases. There were 188 fatalities Monday, a record.
The government lifted many virus-related restrictions in the third quarter, a policy that contributed to a quarterly growth rate of 6.7%, outperforming all Group of 20 nations including China. The Istanbul Airport topped European airports in the week ended Nov. 26, with almost 500 daily flights, state-run Anadolu Agency reported Nov. 27, citing data from Eurocontrol. No travel restriction was announced by the president.
Some of the measures President Erdogan announced include:
- Restriction of public transportation for those under the age of 20 and above 65
- Suspension of activities of kindergartens, hamams, massage parlors and pools
- Ban on activities such as New Year celebrations and limits on attendance at funerals and weddings
- Restrictions on the number of people who can visit a shopping center at any given time
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