As Turkey eases into a new life since the lifting of restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities remain concerned with only a slight decrease in new cases.
The upcoming Muslim holiday of Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, an occasion of higher mobility for millions, may trigger new cases. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has ruled out a new curfew like the one imposed during Ramadan Bayram, or Eid al-Fitr, another Muslim holiday observed at the height of pandemic, but warns there might be restrictions.
Speaking after a meeting of the ministry’s Coronavirus Science Board on Wednesday evening, Koca said they have been discussing possible measures. “A curfew has not been on the agenda, but certain measures on a provincial basis are being considered.” Depending on the fluctuations of the cases, the provinces will decide on the implementation of the said measures.
The holiday, where every Muslim who can afford is obliged to sacrifice an animal, usually sees an exodus of people to their hometowns to visit their relatives or for vacation resorts in the Mediterranean and Aegean region. Marketplaces for sacrificial animals are also set up in cities and attract a large number of customers. Marketplaces were already opened under strict measures for social distancing.
