ISTANBUL, June 18, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Turkish authorities ordered Wednesday that people wear masks in public in Istanbul and the capital Ankara as new coronavirus cases rose sharply.
The move was recommended by the scientific committee advising the government, local authorities in the two cities said.
Turkey recorded 1,429 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, half of them in Istanbul, almost twice as many as were being registered two weeks ago, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
Koca urged Turks “not to let down your guard too much,” while also reassuring them that the situation was “under control”.
Wearing masks to help curb the spread of the virus has been obligatory for several weeks on public transport and in shops across Turkey.
With Wednesday’s announcement, wearing of a mask in public is now required in 48 of Turkey’s 81 provinces.
The move comes as Turkey, like many other countries, has been easing coronavirus restrictions in an effort to get its economy going again after a tough lockdown appeared to slow the spread of the disease.
Images on social media of people walking about without masks or ignoring social distancing recommendations has sparked concern and indignation.