Istanbul's famous İstiklal Avenue temporarily sealed off due to COVID-19

Turkish authorities on March 15 temporarily closed off İstiklal Avenue in central Istanbul as part of measures against the COVID-19. In December, it was annoıunced that only 7,000 people would be allowed to walk on the famous at any one time.

Monday March 15 2021 07:11 pm

Duvar English

Turkish authorities on March 15 temporarily sealed off Istanbul's famous İstikal Avenue following a surge in the number of pedestrians walking on the street.

Istanbul municipality teams warned pedestrians to put on their masks properly and pay attention to social distancing measures amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Once authorities determined that the street was no longer too packed, the entrances were reopened.

In December, it was annoıunced that only 7,000 people would be allowed to walk on the famous at any one time. Barriers were placed at the entrance and exit of the avenue to limit access, with police trying to monitor how many people the avenue is hosting, sometimes with the help of drones.

After the government announced a partial opening of schools, cafes and restaurants two weeks ago, Turkey has started to see its highest daily rise in the COVID-19 cases. The daily tally has roughly doubled from a month ago, a rise authorities have blamed on the new variants of the coronavirus.