Edited by: TJVNews.com
The 17-day total lockdown and other measures have helped Turkey drastically bring down the number of daily coronavirus infections, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Wednesday, according to a report on the Daily Sabah web site.
“We have seen a significant reduction in case numbers. We believe the measures will also lead to a drop in the number of deaths and patients in critical condition,” Koca said during a brief virtual press conference.
The Daily Sabah reported that for much of April, Turkey has been reporting a record number of cases, with the number of daily infections reaching a record high of 63,082 on April 16th.
The spike in daily cases prompted the government to reintroduce several restrictions that were eased previously, including weekend curfews, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan saying Ankara would reevaluate the situation after two weeks, as was reported by the Daily Sabah.
After case numbers failed to fall as much as the government hoped, Erdoğan last week announced a 17-day total lockdown that went into effect Thursday. With the strictest lockdown that Turkey has ever seen since the beginning of the pandemic, case numbers started to decline once again, reaching as low as 24,733 on May 3rd.
On April 26th, the Government of Turkey (GoT) announced additional restrictions and closures to stop the spread of COVID-19, including a full-time curfew throughout all of Turkey, through 5:00 am on Monday, May 17, 2021. This encompasses weekdays and weekends.
On May 4, 2020, the government of Turkey announced that from May 7, 2021 onward only essential food items, cleaning products, pet food, and cosmetics products (except for perfumery and make-up products) will be allowed to be sold in markets (including chain grocery stores) throughout the lock-down. The circular noted excluded items. .
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara, U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, U.S. Consulate in Adana, and Consular Agency in Izmir will be closed for routine consular services for the duration of the curfew. During this period, only emergency services will be provided. Foreign travelers who are in the country for short trips and tourism are exempt from the curfews. Foreigners who are in the country as residents, under protected status, or international status, are subject to the curfew restrictions.
Until the end of Ramadan, Thursday, May 13, 2021 dining establishments such as restaurants, patisseries, cafés, and cafeterias will be available for 24/7 delivery services only.
PCR testing while staying in Turkey for foreigners is limited to those who have symptoms, or those who may have an entry requirement back to their home country. Testing is paid for by the traveler. The government of Turkey has updated their website with the list of facilities in Turkey that perform COVID-19 tests. PCR testing is available at Istanbul Airport. There is no need for an appointment to visit the airport’s testing center, as it is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The testing center is in front of Entrance 14 in Arrivals Hall. The test fee is 250 TL or about $35 for all ages. You must arrive at the airport at least 6 hours prior to your flight with a valid ticket and a valid passport, test results take up to 5 hours.
As of May 15, 2021, a PCR test will not be requested from passengers arriving to Turkey from Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Israel, Japan, United Kingdom, Latvia, Luxembourg, Ukraine and Estonia.
