Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that a four-day lockdown would be imposed nationwide to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus during the Eid Al Fitr religious holiday as the country surpassed 150,000 confirmed cases.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Mr Erdogan said the lockdown would begin on May 23. Schools would not re-open this academic year and education is to continue in person in September with the new academic year.
He also said mosques would begin allowing mass prayers for mid-day and afternoon prayers as of May 29. The house arrest period for prisoners who were released as part of coronavirus measures had been extended for two months.
Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Turkey rose to 150,593 on Monday, with 1,158 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed.
With the ninth highest number of cases globally, Turkey has started taking steps to ease measures against the spread of the coronavirus. The number of daily cases has declined from a peak in April.
A total of 4,171 people have died from the respiratory disease, data showed, while 111,577 have recovered. Turkey has conducted more than 1.6 million tests since the outbreak began.
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A nun wearing a face mask looks up at the window of Pope Francis' studio overlooking St Peter's square as he appears to give his blessing after the Angelus prayer, at the Vatican. AP Photo -
Pope Francis looks from the window of the Apostolic palace overlooking St Peter's Square before his blessing to faithful. AFP -
People wait for Pope Francis to give his blessing from the window of the Apostolic palace overlooking St Peter's Square. AFP -
Soldiers of the Italian 7th CBRN defence regiment 'Cremona' are deployed to sanitise the San Francesco D'Assisi Cathedral, in Civitavecchia, near Rome, Italy. EPA -
A medical worker taking a swab sample from a child to be tested for Covid-19, in a street in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province. AFP -
Lydia Hassebroek says hello to her friend Rose through her kitchen window in Brooklyn, New York, US. Reuters -
People sit on the grass in Central Park in New York City, amid the coronavirus pandemic. AFP -
Nurses assigned to the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Kenyatta University Hospital dance during a Zumba class held at the hospital compound in Nairobi. AFP -
Buses are seen parked before reopening to the public after the government eased a nationwide lockdown in Lahore, Pakistan. AFP -
George Washington University graduate Catalina Perez, right, receives a copy of her diploma from neighbour Paula Lytle as they keep a social distance at a surprise graduation party for Perez, who completed her undergraduate studies in International Affairs across the span of 10 years only to miss her commencement due to coronavirus, in Washington, US. Reuters -
Faith healers wear face masks as they perform a healing ritual on worshippers in the town of Mbare in Harare, Zimbabwe. EPA
