Turkey will begin a gradual return to normal life on a province-by-province basis from March, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday, adding that nationwide weekend COVID-19 lockdowns would be lifted in some provinces based on infection rates.
Turkey imposed curfews, weekend lockdowns and other curbs in December in the face of rising cases. It plans to reopen schools nationwide on March 1, and its vaccination programme has so far administered shots to nearly 5.7 million people using shots developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd.
Speaking after a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Erdogan said a plan on re-opening cafes and restaurants, which have been shut down for months, would be announced in coming days, and urged citizens to continue abiding by the measures
