Almost 54 pct of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Istanbul, says minister

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Nearly 54 percent of all COVID-19 patients in the country are in the metropolis Istanbul, Turkey's health minister said on July 1.

Speaking during a press conference after a meeting with the Science Board, Fahrettin Koca said that there had been decreasing trend in the average age of COVID-19 cases over the last month, with most cases occurring between the ages of 25 and 45. 

Koca stressed that the idea that the virus had weakened and that its spread had slowed was misleading and lacked scientific evidence.

"Anyone who is conscious about the COVID-19 pandemic and complies with the rules is a hero that saves lives in today's conditions," he added.

Travel from Germany to Turkey

Koca said Germany may demand that its treatment protocols be applied to its citizens who travel to Turkey.

Turkey conducts an average of 50,000 COVID-19 tests per day with mortality rate below all European countries, he added.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and his German counterpart Heiko Maas are scheduled to meet in Berlin on July 2 to discuss tourism, and travel restrictions introduced to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Germany decided last month to lift its global travel warning for EU member states and associated countries, but extended it for all the other countries until the end of August.

Berlin's decision drew criticism from Ankara, with Turkish officials stressing that Turkey managed the pandemic better than many European countries and that its tourism facilities were safer than those in Europe.

Turkey is one of the most popular travel destinations for German holiday makers. Nearly 5 million German tourists traveled to Turkey last year.