Coronavirus Statement by Health Minister Koca: Risk Still Continues

* News and photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Indicating that he will not be able to hold a statement for the press for a few days as he will be in İstanbul, Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca has released a written statement regarding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and the measures to be taken amid normalization.

Calling on to the citizens aged 65 and over and 20 and younger, who are still restricted from going out in Turkey as part of COVID-19 measures, Koca has said that the course of the outbreak "cannot be considered separately from the demands and requests of people."

"As the community of health, we ask these age groups to have some more patience and to give us a little more time. We have their expectations as much as them," Minister Koca has noted.

Reminding the public that the struggle against COVID-19 has been continuing for full five months now, Minister Koca has indicated that the situation is still serious in several countries of the world.

"Even though it is not very likely, we are experienced about what needs to be done in the event that the risky conditions arise again. But, not letting this happen depends on us," Koca has stated and underlined that it is possible to eliminate the risk with a single wave and the strength lies in the measures to be adopted in case of a second wave.

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'There are two conditions for safety'

Referring to the first days of easing of lockdown measures, Koca has indicated that daily life has not started with full compliance with precautions in several cities. Koca has shared the following observations:

"In fact, based on the experiences that we have acquired while staying home amid pandemic, we should have complied with measures more. We are in the second phase of our fight against coronavirus. We are in a period when there is still a risk, when the risk has not disappeared.

"As we have emphasized, the way of life to adopt in this period is a controlled social life. A controlled social life does not expect that many compromises from our daily freedoms. In taking the attitude that will protect us from the risk, we need to do it not with difficulty, but by internalizing them.

'Face masks and social distance'

"When one leaves home for the street, there are two conditions to be safe from the virus. Two measures are important in the days when we have taken a breath in the struggle against the pandemic and started to go out on the street freely. One of them is to accept the mask almost as a part of clothes. The mask needs to be used in such a way to cover both the mouth and nose.

"It is certain that virus spreads via inhaling. But, solely wearing a mask is not enough. Others should also be encouraged to wear them, we should be able to warn them if needed. We can defeat the risk if measures to be taken are mutual. The first requisite of a controlled social life is mask.

"If two people do not keep 1.5-meter distance from each other, it means that the closer the distance is, the higher the risk of transmission gets. Wearing a mask is a precaution, but it is a weak precaution in itself. Two precautions should complement one another.

'The new life system is certain'

"Individuals should observe the measures and request the same from the businesses and institutions that cannot get organized in accordance with the conditions of a controlled social life. From this point on, the outbreak will derive its strength from complacency.

"What we need to do is to continue with the process that will gradually come closer to the normal. We will increase the pace of normalization process by observing the rules together. Overcome by what was considered to be 'normal' a few weeks ago just because the curfew after midnight has been lifted is not a sound way of thinking.

"Though the risk of outbreak has abated now, what was the case at 11.59 p.m. has not changed after 12 a.m. It has not changed today, either. We need to accept this." (TP/SD)