ahvalnews.com reports that police in some areas of Turkey are using drones to impose social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. In the eastern province of Van – neighbouring coronavirus-hit Iran – police helicopters and drones hover above parks and picnic spots. Loudspeakers repeatedly issue warnings, calling on people to stay indoors or to maintain social distancing.
In cities throughout Turkey the police have been asking those ignoring social distancing rules to disperse or go home, while the elderly out on the street in defiance of a curfew on those aged over 65 have often been given a ride home by officers.
The Turksh government has shut down schools and universities, closed recreational sites at weekends, and brought in tight restrictions on travel. Yet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has not imposed a full nationwide lockdown, instead urging people to stay at home in a “voluntary quarantine.”
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, “Turkey this week has confirmed 63 new deaths of people who’d contracted the coronavirus. The total reached is now 277.” He continued, “Another 2,148 people have tested positive for the deadly virus, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 15,679.”
Istanbul has close to 8852 cases, making up for 60 per cent of positive diagnoses in the country, followed by İzmir, Ankara and Kocaeli provinces.
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