Coronavirus quarantines underway in 83 residential areas, says Turkish Interior Ministry

The Turkish Interior Ministry on Aug. 7 announced that coronavirus quarantines are currently underway in 83 residential areas in 32 provinces. The areas are home to some 54,053 people. The ministry's comments came as the country's daily COVID-19 cases have recently shown a sharp rebounding trend, with more than 1,000 daily jump in successive days.

Duvar English

Some 83 residential areas are under quarantine as of Aug. 7 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced.

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Quarantines are underway in 32 provinces, four towns, 37 villages, 39 neighborhoods and three hamlets, the ministry said in a statement early on Aug. 7. The areas are home to some 54,053 people.

The ministry said that the authorities have placed a total of 788 residential areas in 68 provinces under quarantine during the coronavirus epidemic. “A total of 623,766 people were placed under quarantine during the epidemic period,” the ministry said.

Since June 1, Turkey has lifted weekend stay-home orders, ended curbs on intercity travel, resumed some international flights and re-opened cafes, restaurants, parks, beaches and gyms.

The government has urged the public to remain cautious, while characterizing the handling of the outbreak as a success.

However, the country's daily COVID-19 cases have recently shown a sharp rebounding trend, with more than 1,000 daily jump in successive days.

Turkey on Aug. 7 confirmed 1,185 additional cases of COVID-19, raising the tally to 238,450, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced. The death toll increased to 5,813 after 15 people died over the past 24 hours, he said.

Daily COVID-19 cases had hovered just below 1,000 from July 13 until Aug. 3.