Turkish president orders 3-day lockdown to curb COVID-19 spread

Istanbul, April 28 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared three days of lockdown in 31 provinces starting from May 1 to curb the spread of COVID-19.After attending a video cabinet meeting from Istanbul on Monday, Erdogan said weekend curfews would continue until the end of Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim feast marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in late May, reported Xinhua news agency.The Turkish leader also noted the government has been preparing a comprehensive program aimed at bringing life back to normal in the country, and its details would be shared with the public soon.Turkey's first lockdown was imposed at the weekend on April 11-12, followed by the second on April 18-19, and lastly, four days of curfew on April 23-26.Meanwhile, Erdogan said Turkey has been preparing to send medical aid to the United States, which would include masks, face shields, protective suits, and disinfectants."Military transport planes carrying these supplies will depart tomorrow," Erdogan added.Turkey has so far recorded 112,261 coronavirus cases and 2,900 deaths, according to the latest figures of the Health Ministry.
--IANS rt/