People wearing protective face masks shop at a fresh market, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Istanbul, Turkey April 26, 2021. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
Ankara: Turkey will enforce a full lockdown from April 29 until May 17 to stem the spread of coronavirus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday.
Speaking to reporters following a three-hour Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, President Erdogan said that all workplaces will suspend their activities during the restrictions, except those excluded by the Interior Ministry, Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported.
All intercity travel will be subject to permission, whereas public transport will operate at 50% capacity, he added.
Schools will also stop in-person education until the lockdown ends. However, the manufacturing and food sectors will be exempt from the restrictions, the President noted.
"At a time when Europe is entering a phase of reopening, we need to rapidly cut our case numbers to below 5,000 not to be left behind. Otherwise we will inevitably face heavy costs in every area, from tourism to trade and education," Erdogan stated.
The measures will be implemented "in the strictest manner to ensure they yield the results we seek," he added.
Turkey logged 37,312 new COVID-19 infections and 353 deaths in the last 24 hours, while the total death toll stood at 38,711 on Monday, the country's health ministry data showed. (QNA)
