No more province at ‘very high risk’ on Turkey’s COVID-19 map

ISTANBUL

Following the comprehensive efforts of the authorities in a bid to slow down the worrying spread of the novel coronavirus, there is no longer any province considered at “very high risk” on Turkey’s COVID-19 map, according to the country’s health minister.

“There is no red province left on Turkey’s COVID-19 risk map. It’s just as good to finish the job as it is to start it. Greetings, loves from 80 provinces to Şanlıurfa!” Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said in a Twitter post.

In Turkey’s COVID-19 risk map, provinces are divided into four different risk groups: low (blue), medium (yellow), high (orange), and very high (red) based on infection and vaccination rates of the residents.

In the red provinces, any shop, workshop, factory, and similar venues larger than 100 square meters are required to ask for a Life Fits Into Home (HES) digital code for everyone entering those premises, be they staff or customers.

However, despite the decrease in the number of daily cases, the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa still tops the list of high-risk provinces with 54.9 percent of the population who had at least a jab, corresponding to the lowest vaccination rate throughout the country.

The minister also named two more provinces that changed their colors on the map.

The Central Anatolian province of Kayseri turned blue from yellow and the eastern province of Ağrı turned yellow from orange, he added.

Turkey’s overall case tally is over 6.03 million, while the nationwide death toll has reached 52,869, with 257 fatalities over the past day.

Pointing out the increase in the death toll, Koca once more called on citizens to get vaccinated.

“The number of deaths, which was 217 [Aug. 25], is 257 [Aug. 26]. The number of cases is at the limit of 20,000,” Koca said.

“Anyone who delays the first dose of vaccine should get the vaccine. Whoever neglects the second dose should make an appointment. Anyone who goes out should obey the rules,” the minister noted.

Meanwhile, Turkey has administered more than 91.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since launching a mass immunization campaign in January, according to official figures on Aug. 26.

Over 47.2 million people have received their first vaccine dose, while more than 36.1 million are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

Turkey has also given third booster shots to over 8.1 million people.

The data showed that at least 76.12 percent of the country’s adult population has received at least one dose of a two-shot vaccine.