Turkey suspends all int’l flights amid coronavirus outbreak
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has imposed additional nationwide restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, Al Jazeera reports.
While stopping short of declaring a lockdown, Erdogan on Friday announced the suspension of all international flights to and from Turkey as well as strict monitoring of domestic travel.
The new restrictive measures include seeking approval from local governors before making intercity trips, and the closure of picnic areas, forests and archaeological sites over weekends.
Erdogan did not give a timeline as to when the restrictions would end.
"The duration of these measures will depend on our people's determination to follow instructions," Erdogan said, calling on Turks to "show patience and sacrifice".
Additionally, Erdogan said that a pandemic board would be established in all of the country's 81 provinces.
As of Sunday, the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Turkey had risen to 131.