Turkey tightens COVID-19 restrictions as Ramadan holy month begins
Responding to a surge in new cases, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced tighter COVID-19 restrictions for the first two weeks of Ramadan, saying measures could be extended if current trends continue.
ISTANBUL — Turkish officials introduced strict social distancing measures Wednesday to curb a record spike in COVID-19 infections after the nation’s Health Ministry logged nearly 60,000 new cases Tuesday.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting Tuesday evening, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the tighter restrictions would be effective for the first two weeks of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, and the measures could be extended if current trends continue.
“Our aim is to achieve a significant drop in case and death numbers,” Erdogan said Tuesday. “If we cannot accomplish the improvement we expect in the table over the course of these two weeks, stricter measures will be inevitable.”
New restrictions include a ban on communal fast-breaking meals during Ramadan as well as more stringent weekday curfews from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., up from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. previously. Until May 17, weekend curfews will be imposed nationwide, most intercity travel will be banned, cafes and restaurants will remain open for takeaway only, fitness centers will be closed, and in-class lessons will be suspended except for preschools and students in the eighth and 12th grades.
