80 percent of Turks call for implementation of weekend curfew to tackle COVID-19

Duvar English

Some 84 percent of Turks are of the opinion that the government should reintroduce weekend curfew throughout the country or in certain provinces to tackle the increasing cases of COVID-19, according to a survey conducted by pollster Ipsos.

Every six out of 10 people said that they knew of someone who had been infected with COVID-19, according to the survey, online news portal T24 reported on Nov. 16.

Some 20 percent of Turks do not believe that Turkey is going through a second wave of the virus, but the rest of the public demands stricter measures to contain the virus, according to the survey.

“The implementation of the closure of restaurants and cafes is supported [by the survey participants]; there is even a group that calls for their closure the whole day. Almost eight out of 10 people are of the opinion that week curfew should be reimplemented,” T24 cited the survey results as saying.

As part of a “normalization” process, the Turkish government lifted weekend curfews in June and allowed cafes and restaurants to reopen. But, amid rising infections, Ankara early in November announced that businesses including cafes and restaurants will close at 10 p.m.

Meanwhile, Turkey registered 3,316 more COVID-19 “patients” on Nov. 16, according to figures shared by the Health Ministry.

The country's overall coronavirus count now stands at 417,594 “patients.” The death toll on the other hand rose by 94 to reach 11,601.

The weekly hospital bed occupancy rate is 54.7 percent, according to the ministry figures.

Urging people to adhere to coronavirus guidelines, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said complying with the measures, and acting together is most important in the fight against the infection.