Increased restrictions expected for İstanbul after two 'normal' Saturdays

Photos: AA

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İstanbul had the second Saturday with eased restrictions during the "controlled normalization" period.

Streets, parks and coastlines were crowded as people were allowed to go out until 9 p.m. and restaurants, cafes and similar places were open.

However, this may change next weekend as new coronavirus cases have been increasing in the city over the past two weeks.

According to the Health Ministry's risk map, provinces with more than 100 cases per 100,000 people are considered "very high" risk zones and have the strictest measures. İstanbul's case count per 100,000 people was 111.57 between February 27 and March 5, according to the ministry's latest map.

The government released the first risk map and announced the new rules for the "controlled normalization" on March 2. Accordingly, four risk groups were determined: very high, high, moderate and low. Cafes, restaurants reopened in all provinces other than those at very high risk and the weekend curfew was lifted until 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

As the new risk map is expected to be announced on Wednesday (March 17), several northwestern provinces, including İstanbul, Çanakkale, Tekirdağ and Kocaeli, are likely to be in the "red," or "very high risk" category, according to Prof. Mustafa Hasöksüz, a member of the Health Ministry's scientific advisory board.

"I consider closed spaces a bit risky. I'm going to ask our citizens to be a little more diligent, considering the highly contagious nature of the variants," he told A Haber, a pro-government broadcaster.

The UK variant is the most common one in Turkey, he noted, adding that it is the reason for the increased cases in the northeastern parts of the country.

"The most common factor for the high daily cases in the Black Sea region is that there is the England variant there," he said. "With the variants, one person transmits the virus to three or four people in families." (EMK/VK)