Turkey imposes weekend lockdowns as COVID-19 cases increases

Full weekend lockdowns have been started by Turkey as coronavirus related deaths doubled in recent weeks. The infection rate hits a record high and the country imposes first full weekend lockdown since May.

The daily death toll climbed to a record increase of 196 on Saturday, taking the total since the origin of the pandemic to 14,705. Official everyday deaths were in the 70s at the end of October.

Opposition politicians have shown suspicion about whether the real death toll reflects the actual image in the country of 83 million people. They have doubted how the figures in Istanbul could be nearly as high as those announced for the whole country.

On Saturday Turkey reported 31,896 new cases, including asymptomatic cases, falling from Friday’s 32,736, the highest daily number proclaimed by Ankara since the start of the pandemic in March.

For just four months, Turkey only recorded daily symptomatic cases, but it has reached all cases since Nov. 25. Actual data for all actual infections and the combined total are still not ready.

Turkish television showed mostly deserted plazas and streets on Saturday in the biggest city Istanbul, the capital Ankara and the third biggest city Izmir, with only a few people and transports out and about.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu was cited as stating by state-owned Anadolu news agency that most people were practising the lockdown controls.

Turkey now stands fourth globally for the number of every day new cases, following only the United States, India and Brazil – all nations with far greater populations than Turkey.

Turkey last forced full weekend lockdowns in populous cities in May. It declared nationwide weekend curfews last month, but the actions failed to prevent the rise in new infections and deaths.

President Tayyip Erdogan declared a full weekend lockdown on Monday, as well as a limitation on weekdays. He announced measures against the coronavirus were being taken correctly to reduce the impression on the economy.