2 yıl önce

Türkiye lifts indoor face mask requirement as Covid cases dip

Rule still in existence in public transportation, medical institutions until the number of Covid-19 cases drops below 1,000 per day, says Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

AP

At the start of March the government lifted rules on wearing masks outside or in indoor areas with sufficient air circulation and social distancing.

Türkiye has removed the requirement of wearing face masks in all closed areas, which has been a part of Covid-19 measures in the country.

The face mask rule will still be in force in public transportation vehicles and medical institutions until the daily number of virus-related cases drops below 1,000, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday following a meeting of the Coronavirus Science Board in the capital Ankara.

Türkiye has handled the pandemic much better than most countries around the world, Erdogan said, stressing that the country has not only tried to treat its own people, but also distributed medical aid to some 160 countries and 12 international corporations.

The most important lesson that the country has learned from the deadly virus has been to become “self-sufficient by establishing a strong health infrastructure,” he noted.

To counter the spread of the virus, Türkiye has administered over 147.44 million Covid-19 vaccine doses since it launched an immunisation drive in January 2021.

The country has registered over 14.77 million coronavirus cases so far with a death toll of 97,666.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed more than 6.22 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions.