Breaking News: Will the Weekend Curfew Continue This Week? President Erdoğan made a late announcement. Will there be a weekend curfew this weekend? Following the Cabinet meeting, President Erdoğan spoke with a new statement about measures taken due to the coronavirus. He indicated that a weekend curfew will again be applied on April 18–19. With his announcement about the curfew, many questions about the expected restriction have been answered.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan explained the curfew decision as follows: they have decided to continue weekend curfews as needed in the coming period. The curfew will be reintroduced starting at 00:01 on Friday night, April 17, 2020, and will be in effect on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19, 2020. The restriction will end at 00:01 on Monday, April 20, 2020.
President Erdoğan’s Statements Following the Cabinet Meeting
President Erdoğan’s remarks after the Cabinet meeting emphasized Turkey’s ongoing fight against the coronavirus. Authorities continue to monitor global data closely and the country’s response has drawn praise. There is sufficient capacity for hospital care, medical staff, supplies and medications needed to treat COVID-19 patients. Distribution of free masks is proceeding at full speed; while some logistical issues have occurred, services continue and shortages are not the cause of any disruption. To obtain masks from pharmacies, approximately 32 million citizens have been sent QR codes so far, and this number is expected to reach 39 million by Thursday.
5,000 Patients Discharged After Recovering from COVID-19
Regarding treatment, Turkey does not face shortages in the raw materials for medications. Health institutions have the capacity to respond to the outbreak in every respect. Across 81 provinces, the country has about 240,000 hospital beds available. Work has begun on two 1,000‑bed field hospitals in Yeşilyurt and Sancaktepe, and construction is progressing rapidly. Additional field hospitals are being prepared, including a 100‑bed facility in Hadımköy and a 250‑bed facility in Derince.
Sections of Başakşehir City Hospital will open to the public in phases: the first part on April 20 and the second part on May 15, 2020. Pendik Research Hospital has already begun accepting patients. Total COVID‑19 testing has exceeded 410,000, and both test positivity and case rates are trending downward. As of today, more than 5,000 patients have been discharged after recovery. Turkey ranks among the countries that brought the outbreak under control most rapidly.