Downtown Istanbul, Ankara hotels offer free stay to healthcare workers amid coronavirus outbreak

Hotels in the metropolis Istanbul and the capital Ankara will be hosting healthcare workers for free, they said March 24. The five-star The Marmara on Istanbul's central Taksim Square will welcome workers from two nearby hospitals, Independent Turkish reported.

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The administration of a hotel on Istanbul’s central Taksim Square will allow healthcare workers to stay in their rooms free of charge, they said March 24. 

The Marmara Hotel, located in one of Istanbul’s most important hubs, said that they would allow healthcare workers from nearby Şişli Etfal and Taksim First Aid hospitals, Independent Turkish reported. 

A popular spot for tourists in Istanbul, The Marmara is considered a luxury destination. 

The Downtown Grand Anatolia Hotel, in the capital Ankara, will be hosting healthcare workers free of charge as well. 

Owned by the Turkish Metal Trade Union, the downtown Ankara hotel will be hosting healthcare workers free of charge to thank them for their work, union chair Pevrul Kavlak said in a tweet March 24. 

Turkey’s healthcare workers unions have been protesting the government’s reluctance to allow healthcare workers help in the form of protective gear, rotating shifts and shelter since the appearance of the disease in the country March 10. 

The coronavirus pandemic has killed 44 people in Turkey as of March 24 and infected nearly 2,000.

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