Turkey's new COVID-19 lockdown enters into force

The coronavirus-related lockdown announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came into force across the country on Thursday and will last through May 17, becoming the longest-running restriction since the onset of the pandemic.

On Monday, the Turkish leader announced a complete lockdown from 7.00 p.m. on April 29 to 5.00 a.m. on May 17 in order to return to normal life after the holy month of Ramadan. According to Erdogan, trips between cities will be possible only with special permission. All organizations and institutions will also halt their work, while students will return to online classes.

The Turkish government started to impose partial lockdowns in mid-April when Ramadan began in the country. On April 26, a three-day lockdown ended, which was introduced due to national sovereignty and children's day being public holidays.

The Middle Eastern country has recently increased COVID-19 restrictions due to the rise in the number of new cases. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Turkey has been growing steadily since the beginning of spring and has climbed to over a total of 4.75 million cases.

Russia restricted air traffic with Turkey from April 15 to June 1 amid a steep rise in coronavirus cases in the country popular with Russian tourists. Two flights a week still run between Moscow and Istanbul. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )