‘Our fears might come true,’ warns Turkey’s Health Minister Koca

* Photo: Nevzat Yıldırım - İstanbul / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca has released a written statement following the Health Ministry's Coronavirus Science Board Meeting in the capital city of Ankara yesterday (August 12). "The observance of the measures is still not at the desired level," Minister Koca warned.

CLICK - Number of seriously ill patients keeps increasing, new cases exceed recoveries

Sharing details from the meeting, Koca has said that the main agenda of the meeting was the reopening of schools scheduled for September.

The course of the outbreak in Turkey, the reason behind the increasing number of cases, the precautions to take in provinces where the number of cases is increasing, the capacity of hospitals and ongoing vaccine research were also among the issues discussed at yesterday's meeting.

Sharing a brief message on his Twitter account, Minister Koca has said, "We are tired but we need to know that our fears might come true if we give up. Just like all other outbreaks in history, humanity will win the fight against this outbreak as well. Let us be among the winners."

'Transparency about data since the first day'

The statement released by the Ministry has referred to the recent increase in the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Turkey.

"We can proudly say that Turkey is one of the very few countries where contact tracing and follow-up works are carried out so soundly," the statement has read, arguing that "since the first day of the outbreak, Turkey has been announcing the number of cases in a transparent manner."

Indicating that "concerns are understandable," the statement has read, "But speculations serve threats, rather than precautions."

"We have been witnessing regional increases in our country. The fact that the increase in the number of our cases is not out of control, unlike several countries, is thanks to the measures that our state institutions and citizens have devotedly observed till today," it has indicated further.

"However, I would like to underline that the observance of the measures has still not been at the desired level. Being relaxed about these measures might cause us to long for these days in the future."

'There are three simple rules'

The Ministry's statement has also raised concerns about the influenza season in October and November, warning that the risk might increase in this upcoming period. "The fact that the symptoms of the disease are similar to those of influenza might also lead to concerns," it has added.

"On the condition that we observe the rules, we have the opportunity to live what we miss, albeit not fully," the statement has said, reiterating the following rules: "Both our health and our loved ones' lives depend on 3 simple rules: Hygiene, mask, distance. If we do not take these rules into account, we will face an uncontrollable picture tomorrow."

Concluding its statement, the Ministry has made the following warning to citizens: "If the number of cases keeps increasing at its current pace, we might have to take strict measures again. We are making efforts to prevent this. We will try to present new works about COVID-19 communication in the upcoming days and make new arrangements." (AS/SD)