Turkey: Over 11,000 returnees from abroad in quarantine

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - More than 11,000 people who arrived in Turkey from abroad have been quarantined in 36 dormitories across 23 provinces, the country’s youth and sports minister said Monday.

In a tweet, Mehmet Kasapoglu said: "Our dormitories, which have been home to brilliant children of our country, are now hosting our guests from abroad."

Giving further details, he said Istanbul is currently hosting 1,955 people, Ankara 3,058, Konya 2,180, Kocaeli 891 and Isparta 586.

The quarantined people will be closely monitored for symptoms of coronavirus.

Turkey has upped its measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic by banning public gatherings, closing schools and restaurants, and encouraging people to self-isolate.

So far, 30 people have died of the virus in Turkey, with 1,236 cases confirmed.

The virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 167 countries and regions around the globe, while the tally of confirmed cases exceeds 341,000 and the death toll is over 14,700, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

China, Italy, Iran and Spain continue to be the worst-affected countries.

Despite the rising number of cases, the vast majority of people contracting the virus suffer mild symptoms before making a recovery.