Turkey’s new virus measures effective as of tonight

ANKARA

In line with the decision taken by the presidential Cabinet to curb the spread of the coronavirus, indoor facilities, such as cinemas and restaurants, will close at 10:00 p.m. local time (1900GMT) across Turkey starting from Wednesday, according to a notice issued by the Interior Ministry.

The ministry’s notice stated that COVID-19 cases have surged recently and the decision came following proposals from the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board and on the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an effort to ensure safety of public health and order.

Among facilities obliged to close down at 10:00 p.m. are shopping malls, mass means of transport, parks, markets, restaurants, cafes, barber shops, sports centers, internet cafes, theaters, cinemas and concert halls in all 81 provinces of Turkey.

Turkey has so far reported more than 382,000 COVID-19 cases and almost 329,000 of the patients have recovered from the virus that has claimed 10,481 lives in the country. Over 14.4 million tests have been conducted in Turkey.

Across the world, COVID-19 has claimed more than 1.21 million lives in 190 countries and regions since last December. The US, India, and Brazil are currently the worst-hit countries.

Over 47.55 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries nearing 31.7 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas