COVID-19 patients transferred from Turkish Cyprus to Turkey for treatment
Turkey has started to provide ambulance transportation to COVID-19 patients in the breakaway Turkish Cyprus to treat them at Turkish hospitals. The first four COVID-19 patients were brought early on Sept. 10 to Ankara.
Duvar English
The Turkish government has begun transferring COVID-19 patients from the breakaway Turkish Cyprus to treat them in Turkey. Four COVID-19 patients were brought early on Sept. 10 to Ankara's Esenboğa Aiport with an ambulance plane, state-run Anadolu Agency said.
"In this context, Turkey, as of the midnight begins to transfer the COVID-19 patients here to health services in Turkey,” Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said in a statement.
Tatar said Turkey continues to stand with the Turkish Cyprus in fighting the pandemic.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay last month said that Turkey would not allow any load on the health system of the Turkish Cyprus. Oktay said that if the number of COVID-19 infections starts to rise in the Turkish Cyprus, patients will be provided air ambulance transportation to Turkish hospitals.
The Turkish Cypriot Cabinet announced on Sept. 8 the closure until Oct. 1 of schools, clubs, discos, cinemas, theaters and casinos due to a major rise in active COVID- 19 cases.
On Sept. 8, Turkish Cyprus reported a record 38 new cases, the highest number of COVID-19 infections since the outbreak in March.
The new COVID-19 cases reported in the north between Sept. 1 and 8 have taken the total tally to 475.