Istanbul falls silent during two-day coronavirus curfew

Duvar English

The streets of Istanbul fell silent during the two-day curfew imposed as part of the efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Drone footage showed empty streets in Istanbul, as well as 30 other provinces that a curfew was also imposed.

The restrictions were imposed across the country and scaled up existing curbs, under which people under the age of 20 and over 65 have been told to stay at home.

Ankara has also halted all international flights, restricted domestic travel, closed schools, bars and cafes, and suspended mass prayers. But people have still been going to work to sustain economic activity.

"We urge all citizens who live in these 31 provinces to comply with this weekend's lockdown without panicking," Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun wrote on Twitter.

He called on people to maintain their social distance in the brief time before the lockdown went into effect. However, soon after news of the move emerged, many people left their homes to buy food and drink in the country's commercial hub Istanbul, a city of 16 million people.

Earlier on April 10, before the lockdown was announced, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca had urged people to resist the temptation to leave their homes during the weekend as the weather warms.

The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Turkey rose by 5,138 in the last 24 hours and 95 more people have died, taking the nationwide death toll from the pandemic to 1,101, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on April 11.

Turkey's total confirmed cases stood at 52,167, he added.

Detailing specifics of the lockdown in a subsequent statement, the Interior Ministry said bakeries, pharmacies and health facilities would be among places excluded from the ban, enabling people to meet essential needs.