‘The first wave of COVID-19 is still ongoing in Anatolia,’ says Health Minister Koca

* Photo: Aytuğ Can Sencar – Ankara/AA

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Addressing the reporters following a Coronavirus Science Board meeting yesterday (July 8), Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca has announced the latest situation in Turkey amid novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Accordingly, while 1,041 people have tested positive, 22 people have died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. 2,219 people have recovered. The number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours has been announced as 49,302.

According to the figures announced till today, 3,782,520 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Turkey so far. While the total number of cases is 208,938, the death toll has reached 5,282.

While 1,172 people are in treatment in intensive care units, the number of intubated patients is 406 and the total number of recovered is 187,511.

* Source: Anadolu Agency (AA)

'18,000 people fined for not observing the measures'

After sharing these figures, Minister Koca has underlined that "in contact tracing works, it is seen that the source of several cases is weddings," which are now allowed on the condition that certain measures such as physical distance and face masks are observed.

Reminding that eight provinces have banned large groups of people from holding ceremonies to send newly recruits to compulsory military service, Koca has also underlined that funerals, condolences and other Islamic memorial services should not lead to new sorrows. "In contact tracing works, we - most of the time - come across such events," he has stressed.

"Our religious officials have started working to prevent risks arising from funerals, condolences, Islamic memorial services and mass worship.

"Our security forces are taking measures, including sanctions, in bazaars. We are also preparing to stipulate to have an observer in ceremonies such as weddings for public health.

"According to the data of our public health boards and law enforcement agencies, nearly 18 thousand people have been fined in our 81 provinces in the last week for failing to observe COVID-19 measures."

Condition in provinces

Minister Koca has also shared the recent figures by provinces. "Let us admit that the length of our struggle has led to complacency, as in the case of the whole world," Koca has said and added, "But, in the last 10 days, we have proven that we can bounce back from where left off."

According to the figures shared by Koca, "the disease is peaking in some provinces, primarily in Diyarbakır, Konya, Adana, Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa."

"These provinces have just been experiencing the highest number of cases. The current situation is caused by not a general distribution in Turkey average, but by increases in certain provinces," he has noted.

The Minister has also shared the following details:

"We see that İstanbul has finished its peak and is gradually going downward. We see that İstanbul, İzmir, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Eskişehir peaked in the 5th week. As for our provinces in Anatolia, Hakkari and Kütahya peaked in the 14th week, Bursa and Van in the 16th and Ankara, Diyarbakır, Urfa and Afyon in the 17th. The first wave is still ongoing in Anatolia.

Three-day averages by provinces

"According to three-day averages, the highest number of cases has been recorded in the following seven provinces: İstanbul, Ankara, Gaziantep, Konya, Mardin, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa.

"As for the lowest cases, they have been witnessed in Tunceli, Artvin, Iğdır, Erzincan, Bayburt, Kırklareli and Bilecik provinces."

Indicating that over 1 million 364 thousand people have so far been scanned for the virus, Minister Koca has noted that the average contact tracing time has dropped from 48 hours to 12 hours.

He has also said that the average time a person spends in hospital has decreased from 21-22 days to three days and the time spent in intensive care has fallen from 18-20 days to two days.

Lastly, referring to the Sacrifice Feast (eid al-adha) to be observed in Turkey from July 31 to August 3, Minister has stated that the issue of a curfew was not brought up in the meeting, but added that there might be some restrictions on a provincial basis during the feast.

"Based on the course of cases in provinces ahead of the feast, provincial public health boards might imposed some restrictions on a provincial basis. We will discuss it again next week," Koca has said." (EKN/SD)