Turkey Lifts COVID-19 Curfew In Low, Medium-Risk Provinces On Weekends - President

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd March, 2021) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said that the coronavirus-related curfew has been lifted in low and medium-risk provinces on weekends, stressing that the country has started the return to a normal life.

"Today, we have started a constructive return to a normal life. Everything will depend on the development of the pandemic situation in the country. We have divided the provinces into four categories: low, medium, high and very high risk for the coronavirus. In the first two categories, the curfew has been completely lifted on weekends. Cafes and restaurants have been opened in them, they will work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.," Erdogan told reporters, adding that in these provinces schools and state agencies would start to operate normally.

The president noted that the curfew would stay in force on Sundays in the high and very high-risk provinces at least for a week, and the COVID-19 situation in the provinces would be assessed every week.

According to the map that was demonstrated by Erdogan, the cities of Istanbul, Antalya and Mugla are located within the high-risk provinces, while the capital of Ankara was put in the middle-risk zone. The low-risk provinces are located in the southeastern part of the country.

Turkey has confirmed 2,711,479 COVID-19 cases, with a death toll of 28,638. Over the past 24 hours, the country registered 9,891 new infections, according to the country's health ministry.