Turkey starting new phase in coronavirus battle, government says

Turkey said on Wednesday it has brought the coronavirus outbreak under control, two months after it first erupted across the country, and will set out new social guidelines and business practices to prevent any resurgence.

“The coronavirus outbreak is currently under control in Turkey… We aim to eliminate coronavirus in the second phase. We are shifting towards a new way of life,” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

He told a news conference the government’s science council would publish guidelines for businesses to follow as they resume operations, setting out precautions to avoid an upswing in new cases.

Turks should also wear masks and respect social distancing in public, as part of a new “controlled social life” that would for example restrict numbers of people allowed into shopping malls and introduce changes at places such as hair dressers.