Turkey: Tight controls avert virus cases in coast town

By Suleyman Elcin

ANTALYA, Turkey (AA) - Thanks to strict compliance with social isolation rules and tight controls against the spread of the novel coronavirus, no cases of the disease have been encountered in Turkey's coastal Mediterranean town of Kas.

Since the first day of measures, people coming for leisure from outside the district, located in the southwestern Antalya province, were not allowed to visit or stay, Bulent Karacan, governor of the town, told Anadolu Agency.

Karacan explained that hotels have not accepted guests since the beginning of the outbreak, postponing bookings until after the disease has subsided.

- Social distancing, tight control key for success

Underlining the importance of residents following the precautions put in place against the pandemic, Karacan said: "The call to stay home received a great response in the district and the squares and world-renowned beaches are now empty."

Only health professionals, funeral staff, food suppliers and facilities workers are allowed to enter the town, he added.

Karacan stressed that home-quarantine terms in the district had ended for all but 65 out of 645 residents who arrived from abroad, with all quarantine measures being implemented strictly and with the support of special teams.

Kas is a popular vacation destination, with large numbers of tourists from around the world under regular circumstances.

So far, the novel coronavirus has claimed 1,769 lives in Turkey, with registered cases topping 78,000.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world, with its epicenter shifting to Europe and the U.S.

The pandemic has killed over 147,000 people and infected some 2.18 million, while more than 555,000 have recovered from the disease, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin