Turkey Loosens Coronavirus Measures, Reports Lowest New Cases Since March

President Erdoğan has announced a "normalization schedule" while the Health Ministry has reported 1,614 new cases and 64 new deaths, both being the lowest for over a month.

İstanbul

A health worker collects throat swab from a patient in the capital Ankara. (Photo: AA)

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Turkey will gradually take new steps to start post-coronavirus normalization, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced today (May 4).

In a televised address, Erdoğan said travel restrictions will be lifted as of midnight for seven cities out of 31, namely Antalya, Aydın, Erzurum, Hatay, Malatya, Mersin, and Muğla. Restrictions for İstanbul, the epicenter of the outbreak in the country, and Ankara, the capital, will continue.

The country will also reopen hair salons and shopping malls on May 11, while people over age 65 will be allowed to go outside for four hours a day, said Erdoğan. As of May 13 children up to age 14 will be able to go out within walking distance of their houses from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m.

Today's Covid-19 update

Shortly after Erdoğan' speech, the Health Ministry released today's coronavirus figures. Accordingly, the total cases in the country increased by 1,619 to 127,659 and the death toll climbed to 3,461 with 64 new fatalities. The country reported its lowest new cases since March 30 and lowest daily fatalities since April 1.

The total recoveries have reached 68,166 as 5,015 people were discharged from treatment in a day, according to the ministry data. The total number of PCR tests stand at 1,171,138 with 35,771 tests since yesterday's update.

There are 1,384 patients in intensive care units, 727 of them are on ventilators.

Covid-19 cases have been reported in 187 countries and regions since it emerged in Wuhan, China last December, with the US and Europe the hardest-hit areas.

More than 3.53 million cases have been reported worldwide, with the death toll exceeding 248,000, according to data compiled by the US-based Johns Hopkins University. Over 1.13 million people have recovered.

Daily cases and deaths in Turkey

11 March: 1 case
13 March: 3 cases
14 March: 6 cases
15 March: 18 cases
16 March: 29 cases
17 March: 51 cases, 1 death
18 March: 93 cases, 1 death
19 March: 168 cases, 2 deaths (1.981 tests)
20 March: 311 cases, 5 deaths (3.656 tests)
21 March: 277 cases, 12 deaths (2.953 tests)
22 March: 289 cases, 9 deaths
23 March: 293 cases, 7 deaths (3.672 tests)
24 March: 343 cases, 7 deaths (3.952 tests)
25 March: 561 cases, 15 deaths (5.035 tests)
26 March: 1196 cases, 16 deaths (7.286 tests)
27 March: 2069 cases, 17 deaths (7.533 tests)
28 March: 1704 cases, 16 deaths (7.641 tests)
29 March: 1815 cases, 23 deaths (9.982 tests)
30 March: 1610 cases, 37 deaths (11.535 tests)
31 March: 2704 cases, 46 deaths (15.422 tests)

1 April: 2148 cases, 63 deaths (14.396 tests)
2 April: 2456 cases, 79 deaths (18.757 tests)
3 April: 2786 cases, 69 deaths (16.160 tests)
4 April: 3012 cases, 76 deaths (19.664 tests)
5 April: 3015 cases, 73 deaths (20.065 tests)
6 April: 3148 cases, 75 deaths (21.400 tests)
7 April: 3892 cases, 76 deaths (20.023 tests)
8 April: 4117 cases, 87 deaths (24.900 tests)
9 April: 4056 cases, 96 deaths (28.578 tests)
10 April: 4747 cases, 98 deaths (30.864 tests)
11 April: 5138 cases, 95 deaths (33.170 tests)
12 April: 4789 cases, 97 deaths (35.720 tests)
13 April: 4093 cases, 98 deaths (34.456 tests)
14 April: 4062 cases, 107 deaths (33.070 tests)
15 April: 4281 cases, 115 deaths (34.090 tests)
16 April: 4801 cases, 125 deaths (40.427 tests)
17 April: 4353 cases, 126 deaths (40.270 tests)
18 April: 3783 cases, 121 deaths (40.520 tests)
19 April: 3977 cases, 127 deaths (35.344 tests)
20 April: 4674 cases, 123 deaths (39.703 tests)
21 April: 4611 cases, 119 deaths (39.429 tests)
22 April: 3083 cases, 117 deaths (37.535 tests)
23 April: 3116 cases, 115 deaths (40.962 tests)
24 April: 3122 cases, 109 deaths (38.351 tests)
25 April: 2861 cases, 106 deaths (38.308 tests)
26 April: 2357 cases, 99 deaths (30.177 tests)
27 April: 2131 cases, 95 deaths (20.143 tests)
28 April: 2392 cases, 92 deaths (29.230 tests)
29 April: 2936 cases, 89 deaths (43.498 tests)
30 April: 2615 cases, 93 deaths (42.004 tests)