By Justin Mays:
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced
the scrapping of the requirement for people to wear masks indoors. People will
no longer be requested to wear masks indoors except at hospitals and while
using public transportation.
At a press conference held in Ankara after the
Science Board meeting, President Erdogan said, “The indoor mandate will
continue to stay in effect only in public transport and health institutions for
a little more until the number of cases decreases below 1,000 daily,”. Those
with chronic diseases and above 65 are recommended to keep wearing masks.
On the 25th of April 2022, the Turkish Health
Ministry reported 2.604 cases of Covid-19.
Currently, Turkey is one of the nine countries that
has managed to produce its own COVID-19 vaccine, Turkovac, and the country’s
president had this to say, “This pandemic has taught us that the country has to
become self-sufficient in the health field. The European countries have
lifted many measures. I think our country has come to the same point too.”
On the 2nd of March 2022, Turkey lifted the outdoor
mask mandate. The president thanked health workers and the Science Board for
their tremendous efforts in the fight against the pandemic and emphasized the
importance of vaccinations during his address.
Turkey has administered over 147.4 million doses of
COVID-19 vaccines since it launched the campaign in January 2021. Turkovac
vaccine has been administered to citizens in state hospitals across the country
since the 30th of December 2021.
