Turkey at second peak of coronavirus outbreak, health minister says

Turkey is experiencing the second peak of its coronavirus outbreak, health minister Fahrettin Koca said, New Europe reported.

The government announced new restrictions on social gatherings: “We are going through the second peak of the first wave of coronavirus. The carelessness at weddings and religious holidays has bought us to this point”, Koca said, but added, however, that lockdowns were not on the government’s agenda for now.

Turkey reopened the economy in early June. In recent days, Covid-19 deaths have jumped to their highest since mid-May. New infections have risen to mid-June levels, at almost 1,600.

Koca said that the Ankara had seen the most rapid rise in cases lately, producing double the numbers of Turkey’s previous epicenter, Istanbul. “The virus is spreading to more people each day. Our test numbers are rising every day, our new patient numbers are not falling”, he said, adding that 29,865 health workers were infected, with 52 deaths.