Turkey Indoor mask-wearing directive lifted: Update!

By Justin Mays:

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced the scrapping of the requirement for people to wear masks indoors. People will no longer be requested to wear masks indoors except at hospitals and while using public transportation.

At a press conference held in Ankara after the Science Board meeting, President Erdogan said, “The indoor mandate will continue to stay in effect only in public transport and health institutions for a little more until the number of cases decreases below 1,000 daily,”. Those with chronic diseases and above 65 are recommended to keep wearing masks.

On the 25th of April 2022, the Turkish Health Ministry reported 2.604 cases of Covid-19.

Currently, Turkey is one of the nine countries that has managed to produce its own COVID-19 vaccine, Turkovac, and the country’s president had this to say, “This pandemic has taught us that the country has to become self-sufficient in the health field. The European countries have lifted many measures. I think our country has come to the same point too.”

On the 2nd of March 2022, Turkey lifted the outdoor mask mandate. The president thanked health workers and the Science Board for their tremendous efforts in the fight against the pandemic and emphasized the importance of vaccinations during his address.

Turkey has administered over 147.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since it launched the campaign in January 2021. Turkovac vaccine has been administered to citizens in state hospitals across the country since the 30th of December 2021.