Turkey suspends flights to 46 more countries as death toll rises to nine

Turkey extended measures against the coronavirus on March 21, suspended flights with 46 more countries and banning picnics and barbecues, as the number of cases has roughly doubled every day for a week.

The death toll in Turkey due to the coronavirus rose to nine, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said late on March 20, after five elderly patients died of the highly contagious respiratory illness.

The number of confirmed cases in the country has surged since the first case was announced last week, reaching 670 on March 20. The cases have roughly doubled every day since March 15.

Koca said 3,656 tests had been conducted in the past 24 hours, 311 of which came back positive.

Ankara had already banned flights with 22 countries, closed schools, cafes and bars, banned mass prayers and indefinitely postponed matches in its main sports leagues. The new ban applies to countries including Canada and the northern part of Cyprus.

On March 21, it extended the ban to picnics and barbecues, as well as barbershops, hair and beauty salons.

Earlier on March 21, Fenerbahçe basketball players and staff members showing coronavirus symptoms have been sent to the hospital for tests, the Turkish team said.

New measures against COVID-19

The Turkish health ministry said all hospitals, including private ones, will have to admit and treat suspected patients of new coronavirus.

The ministry also declared any hospital with at least two specialists in infectious diseases, pulmonology or internal diseases as a coronavirus pandemic hospital in order to ease the burden on health institutions and personnel.

The government also said all meetings and activities, related to science, culture...

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