* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive
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The number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has been on the increase in Turkey since July 1, when almost all restrictions were lifted.
While July 1 saw 5,528 cases, according to the Health Ministry data, the number of daily cases neared 27 thousand yesterday (August 4). For two days in a row, the daily death toll also topped 120. It was on June 3, 2021, when Turkey saw more than 100 COVID-19 deaths in a day.
In the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakır, which has the fourth lowest vaccination rate in Turkey, the number of cases per 100 thousand people was 599.29 in the week of July 24-30, 2021.
'85 percent unvaccinated'
Speaking to bianet about the issue, Diyarbakır Medical Chamber Chair Elif Turan says that the number of cases diagnosed a day is around 2 thousand on average. Turan underlines that the hospital services, which were closed, are opening again, both at public and private hospitals. The physician raises concerns that the hospital services are now getting full quickly:
The number of inpatients has hit 300. We have 80 patients in intensive care units. As for the number of inpatients received by hospitals in the last two days, it is around 50-60. And 85 percent of the patients treated in intensive care units are unvaccinated.
'Number of inpatients has risen from 50 to 300'
Referring to the numbers before July 1, Turan says, "The number of daily cases was around 140 before the opening and our average number of inpatients was 50. The number of cases is 2 thousand now. This increase in a month shows that the virus is spreading very quickly."
Calling on people to get vaccinated, Turan says:
"We see that the vaccinated people get over the disease with milder symptoms. No one should be misled by the false information about vaccines and everyone should be vaccinated as soon as possible, first for their loved ones, then for public health." (RT/SD)
