Majority of public supports virus curbs: Study

ANKARA

More than 50 percent of Turks are supporting the recently reintroduced curbs limiting the business hours of shops, such as cafes, restaurants and barber shops, a survey conducted by polling company Ipsos has found.

In line with the decision announced earlier this month to slow the spread of the coronavirus, indoor facilities, including sports centers, internet cafes, theaters, cinemas and concert halls, would now close at 10:00 p.m. local time across Turkey.

Some 33 percent of the respondents also suggested that those indoor facilities should remain close the whole day while only 6 percent are opposed to such restrictions on those venues.

Around 64 percent of the participants are of the opinion that nationwide weekend curfews should be introduced, while another 20 percent said such lockdowns must specific to provinces.

The survey also found that 61 percent of the public believed Turkey was going through a second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the study, six out of 10 people said that someone from their inner circle or some of their acquaintances have diagnosed with COVID-19.

In the face of the continued rise in the number of COVID-19 patients, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has urged the public to follow safety measures to help curb the spread of the virus.

“There is a limit to the power of healthcare professionals and the capacity of hospitals. Support the fight [against the outbreak] by adhering to the measures,” Koca wrote on Twitter.