Coronavirus in Türkiye; People over 65 years old are prohibited from leaving home

People over 65 and the sick were banned from leaving their homes due to the risk of contracting the coronavirus in Turkey. Most of the victims of the coronavirus in the country were elderly people. The number of people infected with the coronavirus in Turkey reached 947.

The Turkish Ministry of Interior sent a tweet at midnight on Saturday, April 24, banning people over 65 from leaving their homes without providing further explanation.

Older people, especially those with a history of chronic illness, are at higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. The virus can easily develop into the lung disease COVID-19 among this age group.

Turkey has a population of 83 million. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, the number of people over the age of 65 has increased by 22 percent in the past five years, reaching 7.55 million. These people make up about 9 percent of the total population of Türkiye.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca also announced on his Twitter account on Saturday, April 23, that 12 more people in the country had died from coronavirus, all of them elderly people. In total, 21 people in the country had died from the coronavirus as of Saturday, April 23.

The Turkish Health Minister said: "All of the deceased were elderly, so we must warn older people to observe the restrictions on leaving their homes."

According to the Turkish Minister of Health, on Saturday, April 23, the number of people infected with the coronavirus in Türkiye reached 947.

Turkey has taken many measures to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. In addition to closing many shops, it has banned prayers and other ceremonies in mosques. Many foreign flights, including to European countries, have also been suspended.

Source: DW