Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board

The Health Ministry's Science Board will discuss the latest situation in the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus-related measures, the country's top health official has said.

Speaking at the northwestern province of Bursa, Fahrettin Koca noted that the number of daily infections has declined to 3,200 as of April 17, which marked the lowest level in the past one and a half years.

The Health Ministry's Science Board, which advises the government on COVID-19, postponed its highly anticipated meeting for a week.

Board members were supposed to discuss on Feb.23 the fight against the pandemic and reconsider anti-virus measures.

"The press release regarding the measures will be issued on March 1," the Health Ministry said.

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said the difficult period in the fight against COVID-19 has been left behind and life will turn to normal soon, but stressed the current personal measures taken in protection against the virus will continue.

Noting that the pandemic was still on the agenda, Koca assured that "this will change in a short time."

The emergency authorization application for the domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine, Turkovac, has been submitted to the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK), Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has announced.

With COVID-19 vaccines increasingly becoming more available, this summer will be the last when people will have to wear their face masks, the health minister told media outlets following a virtual meeting of the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board on June 2.

In a statement on the latest results of Phase 3 trials in Turkey of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on March 4 its overall efficiency was 83.5% with a hospitalization prevention rate of 100%.

"Our experience also shows that hospitalizations are being prevented [via vaccine]," he added.

Turkey's Justice Ministry announced on Feb. 18 that COVID-19 vaccines have begun being administered to detainees and convicts at penal institutions. 

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca shared a statement on Twitter with details of the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board's latest meeting and 'we are about to complete Phase 1 in the vaccination of priority groups identified by our Scientific Board," he said on Feb. 16. 

Turkey may see a surge in COVID-19 cases in the months to come due to the different virus variants found in more than 20 provinces, experts have warned, urging the public to remain vigilant and exercise caution.

The number of coronavirus cases in Turkey has been decreasing since the introduction of weekday night curfews and weekend lockdowns, but officials are urging citizens to remain vigilant as the New Year's holiday approaches.