Turkey impose new virus restrictions in capital

By Ozcan Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - People, who are 65 years of age and above or those suffering from chronic diseases, in the Turkish capital Ankara have been restricted access to weddings, funerals, condolences, market places and social activities, where masses gather, the country’s authorities said on Monday.

The duration of the street wedding parties in Ankara has been limited to two hours, while the mass serving of food to wedding attendees has also been banned.

As part of measures to curb the spread of the virus, public transport and taxis will be required to place a fiberglass separator in vehicles between drivers and passengers.

Furthermore, local teams will be constituted within the Infection Control Centers in Ankara to ensure to check regularly the identified patients and those who are in quarantine.

As of Sunday, Turkey had registered a total of 5,974 deaths due to coronavirus, while over 230,900 people have recovered from the disease. Currently, there are nearly 250,000 confirmed cases in the country.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil and Russia are currently the countries hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed more than 775,000 people worldwide, with infections surpassing 21.7 million and recoveries over 13.6 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.