Istanbul Municipality’s COVID-19 committee suggests 11-day curfew for the end of Ramadan

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Istanbul Municipality’s COVID-19 Scientific Consultation Committee urged the government to implement an 11-day curfew for a week before Eid al-Fitr and over the three days of the holiday starting May 23. 

The committee noted that a curfew is practically mandatory during the three days of the holiday, as the end of Ramadan is a traditional time of socialization for Turkish families. 

The committee suggested a partial curfew for the week leading up to the holiday to help citizens shop for Eid in a controlled manner. 

“Religious holidays are when economic activity peaks in our country. This activity will increase physical contact, and could cause increased risks [for the spread of coronavirus],” the committee said in a justification of the proposed extended curfew.

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The committee also urged the government to allow senior citizens to go outside during the partial curfew leading up to Eid, as citizens over 65 have been under curfew since March. 

The committee urged the government to establish preventative measures for the holiday sooner than later. 

“Risky behavior will increase and false information will spread if the implementation of limitations is delayed, creating uncertainty.”

Lastly, the committee recommended delaying relaxing measures against the virus until after Eid al-Fitr at the end of May. 

“It’s the official opinion of this committee that any normalizing steps be delayed until after Eid, to prevent uncontrollable contact between citizens,” the committee’s official statement noted. 

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