COVID-19: Turkey continues evacuating citizens abroad

By Omer Faruk Simsek and Gurkan Ozer

SAKARYA, Turkey (AA) - Another 257 Turkish citizens were placed under 14-day quarantine on Thursday after they were brought back home from abroad amid the spread of new coronavirus worldwide.

A ro-ro ship carried 25 truck drivers from Ukraine to the Karasu Port in the northwestern Sakarya province. They were transferred to an evacuated dormitory in the province after their first health check.

The evacuees were placed in rooms one by one following the second health screening to be observed 14 days.

Separately, 232 people flew to Turkey from Uzbekistan. The group of businessmen, students and their families later traveled to Sakarya’s Hendek district by bus.

They were also placed in another dormitory after medical examination.

Sociologists and psychologists from the Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry will provide psychological support for truck drivers during their quarantine period.

Earlier, 1,134 people underwent health screening and were placed in the dormitories as part of coronavirus measures.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, in December, the virus has spread to at least 175 countries and regions, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 510,000 cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll nearing 23,000 and more than 120,900 recoveries.

Despite the rising number of cases, most who contract the virus suffer only mild symptoms before making a recovery.

*Writing by Davut Demircan in Ankara