Mayors, scientists call for lockdown as COVID-19 cases pass 74,000 in Turkey
The mayors of 11 Turkish cities and scientists tracking the coronavirus pandemic in Turkey say a full lockdown is needed in urban areas to avoid an exponential rise in new infections.
ISTANBUL — A growing number of politicians and scientists are calling on the Turkish government to impose a full lockdown on urban areas to stem the spread of COVID-19 as the nation recorded 74,193 confirmed cases with 1,643 virus-linked deaths Thursday.
Eleven mayors with the opposition Republican People’s Party issued a joint statement today requesting a long-term “curfew or full isolation” be imposed on urban residents to avoid the exponential growth of new infections.
“We again draw attention to the need for this application before losing more time,” stated the co-signers, among whom were Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas.
To date, Turkish officials have issued a pair of consecutive 48-hour weekend curfews on urban areas, while imposing full curfews for all senior citizens and most people under 20 years of age. Shops, cafes and restaurants have also been closed for weeks as international and domestic travel remains highly restricted, but some experts say the interventions don’t go far enough.
