‘Turkey is rapidly approaching the third peak of the first wave’

* Photo: Anna Shvets, Pexels

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Seven medical organizations have released a joint statement warning against the surge in the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and deaths in Turkey amid 'controlled normalization' since March 1.

"The outbreak is not yet under control; we are rapidly approaching the third peak of the first wave," reads the joint statement signed by the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Specialty Associations Coordination Board (UDEK) Coronavirus Working Group, Turkish Thoracic Society, Public Health Specialists' Association, Turkish Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Association, Turkish Microbiology Society, Clinical Microbiology Specialty Association and Turkish Radiation Oncology Association.

'Death numbers have started to increase again'

The joint statement of the organizations has indicated that Turkey now ranks 7th in the world in terms of the number of cases, with 18,912 daily cases reported by the Health Ministry on March 17.

In their written statement dated March 18, the medical organizations have said, "73 people have lost their lives due to coronavirus in Turkey in the last 24 hours. While the number of COVID-19 was dropping in the last few weeks, it has once again started to increase."

The organizations have raised concerns that "the number of cases keeps increasing despite the drop in the number of daily tests."

"The measures of mask, distance and hygiene apparently fall short," the medical organizations have underlined.

'It is time for a sustainable lockdown'

They have said that "it is now time to impose a sustainable lockdown" in Turkey, recommending that the lockdown must "cover all segments of the society, introduce serious measures about entering and leaving the country, apply to everyone in an equal manner, ensure that no group in society feel forgotten and provide people with the necessary income support."

"The period of lockdown must be specified based on scientific data and together with the related institutions and civil society organizations specialized in healthcare," the organizations have underlined.

They have also noted that "it is time for rapid vaccination." Reminding the public and the authorities that Turkey managed to vaccinate over 650 thousand healthcare workers in the first three days of the mass vaccination campaign in early January, the organizations have said:

"If an adequate number and variety of vaccines can be procured, the burden of the disease on society can be lifted with rapid vaccination. It is obvious that we need to increase the speed of vaccinations."

Lastly, the medical organizations have underlined the importance of a safe opening following the sustainable lockdown, noting that such a plan should foresee "first a sustainable and rapid lockdown, accompanied by rapid vaccination, and, then, a gradual and safe opening."

Daily cases topped 20 thousand after months

The Ministry of Health announced the latest figures on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Turkey yesterday (March 18).

While the daily number of new cases has been announced by the Ministry as 20,049, the number of patients has been announced as 902.

81 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Turkey in the last 24 hours. 18,615 people have recovered. The number of tests conducted in the last 24 hours has been announced as 184,452.

According to the figures announced till today, 35,787,480 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Turkey so far. While the total number of cases is 2,950,603, the death toll has reached 29,777 people.

CLICK - 'Normalization' in Turkey: Daily cases top 20 thousand

(AS/SD)