Over 90 million doses of virus jab administered
ISTANBUL
The number of COVID-19 vaccines Turkey has administered since the start of the inoculation drive in mid-January has surpassed 90 million doses.
Nearly 36 million people have been fully vaccinated while some 47 million have been given their first doses of the jab against the deadly virus.
Turkey is presently also giving the third doses, while recently having allowed people who were inoculated with Sinovac’s coronavirus vaccine to take additional Pfizer/BioNTech doses to help ease travel to countries that have not approved the Chinese shot.
Even though the country is administering nearly 1 million doses of the vaccine, the death toll from the virus has been on the rise for some time now, remaining above 200 since Aug. 19, while the daily COVID-19 cases have been hovering around at 20,000.
Experts say almost all patients in hospitals’ intensive care units are unvaccinated.
Some 15.5 million people have not yet received their first doses even though they are entitled to have one, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter on Aug. 24, reminding that schools are set to reopen next month.
In an earlier tweet, the minister noted that the death tolls from COVID-19 are “painfully high.”
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry and Education Ministry jointly prepared a guideline for the rules to be followed when schools resume face-to-face education on Sept. 6.
The guideline, sent to the provincial directorate of education in all 81 provinces, advices teachers, other school personnel as well as staff working at buses to be fully vaccinated.
It reminded that unvaccinated teachers and school personnel will have to take PCR tests twice a week and authorities will keep record of those test results.
Students and teachers are required to wear face masks and the Education Ministry will provide face masks to schools if needed.
Breaktimes will be arranged in way that will prevent crowds in schoolyards while some activities, such as singing, should be held outdoors in order to prevent the possible transmission of the virus through saliva.
The government already announced that unvaccinated people will have to present negative PCR tests to attend social events, such as concerts, or to enter public venues, including cinemas and theaters, starting Sept. 6.
The PCR test requirement for intercity trips by planes, buses, trains or other public transportation vehicles, excluding private vehicles, by those who are not vaccinated will also come into force on the same day.
