Turkey Declares Four-Day Nationwide Curfew During Eid Holiday

(Bloomberg) -- The Turkish government announced its most drastic decision to curb the spread of the coronavirus, declaring a four-day nationwide curfew during the religious Eid holiday.

A nationwide curfew will be observed from May 23 to May 26, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday, speaking after chairing a weekly cabinet meeting. The measure comes as the number of coronavirus cases nationwide surpassed 150,000. Previous curfews were limited to big cities, including Istanbul, Turkey’s largest.

Schools will remain shut until September, Erdogan also said. However, mosques will start reopening as of May 29.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose by 1,158 on Monday to 150,593, according to data announced by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca. Fatalities rose by 31 to 4,171.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.