As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions ease in Turkey, Professor Tufan Tükek, head of Istanbul University’s Faculty of Medicine, said on Saturday that masks should be worn indoors “at least until April or May.”
On Wednesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca revealed that Turkey is scrapping the outdoor mask requirement as the COVID-19 pandemic eases thanks to the country’s vaccination efforts.
“We are talking about a pandemic that has begun to diminish in intensity,” Tükek said.
Underlining that mask-wearing should be adhered to, Tükek said that after May, the pandemic will further ease in Turkey.
“Maybe the PCR tests will not be done anymore and we will switch back to our normal life,” he said, also warning that hygiene precautions and mask-wearing should be a priority until the pandemic is totally over.
Tükek also said that 80% of Turkey’s total population has antibodies to fight off COVID-19, including individuals who caught the virus and recovered, plus the ever-growing number of vaccinated citizens.
The professor also underlined that education is a top priority for Turkey and should continue now that the number of cases has stabilized.
“The case numbers are dropping,” he said.
“This trend will continue. I believe that people should still carry masks with them and use them intermittently,” Tükek added, underlining that whenever inside and near someone in a high-risk group, masks should be properly worn.
