Turkish Medical Association: COVID-19 not under control

The Turkish Medical Association's (TTB) latest meeting about the COVID-19 pandemic noted that the spread of the virus wasn't under control in Turkey. Members noted that health workers were not being tested regularly, and were worn out. The TTB's statement came as Turkey on Aug. 14 registered 1,226 new cases of the virus, bringing the tally to 246,861.

Serkan Alan - DUVAR

The Turkish Medical Association's (TTB) fifth and latest meeting about the COVID-19 pandemic ruled that the spread of the illness could not be contained in the country, and that it was exhausting health workers.

Ankara's policy of normalization has been in place for three months now with the Health Minister insisting individuals apply precautions, but this shouldn't be left up to individuals, Prof. Dr. Feride Aksu Tanık said.

"We find it problematic that citizens are getting blamed [for the pandemic]. Opening Hagia Sophia for worship and their Eid visitations showed us that Ankara isn't too meticulous," Tanık noted.

Turkey might see surge in cases in 2 weeks due to COVID-19 violations during Eid al-Adha, say expertsTurkey might see surge in cases in 2 weeks due to COVID-19 violations during Eid al-Adha, say experts

The professor noted that health workers in various provinces have been leaving their jobs in recent weeks, which indicates that they're "tired and fragile."

Meanwhile, health workers aren't being tested for COVID-19 and risk infecting their families at home.

The Health Ministry's patient tracking system is also faulty, Tanık said, noting that some patients go on to infect others before they're notified of their infection by the ministry.

The Health Ministry should be conducting influenza vaccinations extensively before flu season kicks off in September, Prof. Özlem Azap Kurt noted.

Turkey confirms 1,226 new virus cases

Meanwhile, Turkey on Aug. 14 registered 1,226 new cases of the virus, bringing the tally to 246,861. The death toll in the country stood at 5,934 as 22 more people lost their lives over the past 24 hours, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, citing the ministry data.

"The data show that there is an increase in the number of people who are in the risk group, due to their age or [pre-existing] condition, who have caught COVID-19. Don't take risks outside and bring it [coronavirus] home. One sick person is one infected family," Koca wrote on Twitter.

Topics COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic normalization Health Minister Fahrettin Koca