Amid pandemic, medical groups question Turkey’s weekend curfew approach
Health workers’ advocates say precautions in Turkey may not be sufficient to contain the coronavirus and safeguard workers as the country grapples with the fast-spreading pandemic.
ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced April 13 that another round of weekend curfews will be imposed on Turkey’s largest cities to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. Yet medical groups are questioning the efficiency of state efforts to contain the fast-growing COVID-19 pandemic and safeguard workers throughout the country.
To date, the Turkish government has ordered the temporary closure of restaurants, cafes and bars, restricted foreign and domestic travel while imposing relatively strict curfews on senior citizens and on people under 20 years of age who are not working.
