Turkey: 9,700 Turkish citizens in virus quarantine

ANKARA

At least 9,700 Turkish citizens are in quarantine as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, the youth and sports minister said on Wednesday.

Citizens are in isolation at dormitories across 76 provinces, Mehmet Kasapoglu said in a statement.

Meanwhile, 67,547 citizens have so far been released from quarantine after completing the mandatory 14-day period, he added.

"With the instructions from our President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan], we are hosting our guests from all corners of the world in our dormitories," Kasapoglu said.

Within the last 24 hours, he said, at least 422 Turkish citizens have been placed at the dormitories and will complete the compulsory 14-day quarantine.

The minister also said that books, toys and sports equipment are distributed to those quarantined to prevent any possible psychological effects.

Turkey on Tuesday recorded 112,895 recoveries from virus, while the death toll is 4,199, and the number of cases stands at 151,615.

Since last Monday the country has started moving toward normalization with some businesses, including hair dressers and shopping malls, having reopened.

After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. Europe and the US are currently the worst-hit regions.

The pandemic has killed nearly 323,500 worldwide, with over 4.9 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 1.69 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University in the US.