Turkey’s Health Minister says ‘summer without masks is coming’

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Health Minister Fahrettin Koca spoke to the press following his visit to the Sakarya Governor's Office yesterday (April 14).

Bringing up the drop in the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, the Minister announced that new decisions will be given about the obligation to use masks in closed places in the country.

According to Fahrettin Koca, "there are no coronavirus patients in the intensive care units (ICU) of several cities." He said, "The effect of the outbreak has started to gradually diminish in this period. We now especially have provinces with no cases, no inpatients or ISU patients."

The Health Minister indicated that "the number of COVID-19 patients in the ICUs is zero in 19 provinces." Saying that "we see this number gradually getting lower", he added, "We can say that we have no patients in the ICU beds in Ağrı, Uşak, Gümüşhane, Bayburt and Artvin provinces."

'The last summer in masks' is over

Arguing that "the worst days of the coronavirus process are now behind us", Koca said, "If you remember, I said last year, 'This will be our last summer in masks. At that time, not many people believed it. In the current situation, spring has come and this summer is coming."

Recalling what he said in Giresun 3 months ago, Minister Koca added, "In that period, our fellow scientists approached it with concerns. I say it again: Don't worry. Our worst days are over. Be of good cheer."

The Health Minister also announced that the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board of the Health Ministry will convene next week:

"The Science Board [...] will hold one of its most important meetings. There will be important decisions, primarily on masks. Our schools are the places where masks are used most intensively. The Science Board will discuss the issue of masks, especially in our schools, next week." (AEK/SD)