Decline in daily cases expected ‘in upcoming months’
ISTANBUL
The growth rate of COVID-19 cases may enter a stagnation period in three weeks, while a decline in the number of daily cases is expected to accelerate in mid-March, experts have said.
As the number of daily infections that have been hovering at around 75,000 is still worrying, the course of the pandemic, its impact on cities and the expected developments towards the spring season are being evaluated by authorities and experts.
The virus pressure will decrease during the spring months with the seasonal effect, a source told, noting that it is expected that the mobility from cities to rural areas in the upcoming months would not be as effective as the previous summer.
With these developments, the number of cases is expected to decrease across the country in the second half of March and coronavirus-related measures may be relaxed in May depending on the course of the pandemic, the source added.
The source also noted the increase in the number of daily cases in the capital Ankara, its neighbor Eskişehir and the Aegean province of İzmir, as well as in the east, southeast, and north of the country, continues despite the decrease in cases in Istanbul.
According to the source, the rate of positive tests has dropped from 24 percent to around 20 percent over the last week - although it’s still high - while the death toll is expected to remain higher for at least two more weeks.
It is also stated that the population over the age of 18 who has never been vaccinated is around 4.3 million and the number of those who have not yet had their booster shots is more than 20 million.
According to official figures, more than 57.5 million people have received their first doses, while over 52.6 million have been fully vaccinated in Turkey, a country with a nearly 84 million population.
The number of people who have received their third COVID-19 booster shot has crossed 26.2 million.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca once again called on the people to comply with the measures, stating that it is wrong to think “the virus will be transmitted anyway.”
“We were all affected by the process, but most of us managed to protect ourselves. Try to carry this success to the end of this period,” Koca said on Twitter.
