April 26th, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that a total blockade would be imposed from April 29th to May 17th, local time, during which face-to-face classes in schools would be stopped and cross-provincial travel would continue to be restricted. However, there are no restrictions on manufacturing and food.
It is the first time Turkey has imposed a full-scale blockade since the outbreak began last March. The recent outbreak in Turkey has been severe, with the number of cases rising to more than 60,000 at one point.
The authorities began implementing stricter anti-pandemic measures from April 14th, such as extending the “ban on foot” and banning restaurant meals. At the time, Mr Erdogan had said he would take tougher measures if the outbreak did not improve significantly in two weeks’ time.
