New daily COVID-19 rates hit record highs four days in a row in Turkey, prompting local health officials to call for more stringent social distancing measures,Turkish health officials reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases for a fourth day in a row Tuesday as medical experts warn tighter measures will be required to curb rising infection rates.
According to the Health Ministry, which since July has reported only symptomatic patient numbers, Turkey saw 7,381 new cases and 161 virus-linked deaths Tuesday, the highest daily rates since the nation’s first confirmed COVID-19 case in March. The figures represent a rapid increase in new daily case numbers, which stood at 3,819 a week earlier.
The news comes after partial weekend curfews were introduced in the country Friday and schools were shuttered through the end of the year. Shopping centers, restaurants and most businesses remain open for limited hours, with partial daily curfews imposed on senior citizens and unemployed people under 20 years of age.
In response to the increasing infection rates, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca encouraged citizens to follow social distancing measures, wear face masks and avoid crowded areas in a series of tweets this week.
“We are being tested,” Koca tweeted Monday. “Do not leave the house unless you have to.”
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