Weekly virus incidence rate declines in Istanbul, Ankara

ISTANBUL

The weekly COVID-19 incidence rates in Turkey’s largest city Istanbul and Ankara declined, while İzmir, the third most populous province, saw an increase in infections, data from the country’s Health Ministry have shown.

The incidence rate measuring the number of new coronavirus infections per 100,000 people in Istanbul was down to 293 in the week of Oct.23-Oct.29 from nearly 297 between Oct.16 and Oct. 22. 

In Istanbul, only around 73 percent of the city’s residents aged 18 and above have been double jabbed versus the nation’s average of more than 79 percent. 

Provinces, where at least 75 percent of their adult population given two doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, are categorized as “low-risk provinces.”

According to the data Health Minister Fahrettin Koca shared with the public on Twitter on Nov. 7, the decline in new infections in Ankara was more noticeable, with the number of cases per 100,000 people dropping to some 288 from 328. 

In the country’s capital, the vaccination rate – two doses given — among the adult population is more than 78 percent. 

However, the western province of İzmir saw the number of cases per 100,000 people climb to 64.8 from 57. Nearly 81 percent of İzmir’s adult population have been double jabbed.

The northern province of Karabük, where the vaccination rate is 74 percent, has the highest incidence rate at 534, followed by the northwestern province of Yalova at 490 and the province of Ordu on the Black Sea coast at 468. 
Even though only 67 percent of its adult population is fully vaccinated, the southeastern province of Şırnak has the lowest COVID-19 infections per 100,000 people at 12.8, down from the previous incident rate of 20.6.

“We are aware that the pandemic talks are tiring. You just get vaccinated, stick to [the anti-virus] measures, whatever else needs to be done is our duty to accomplish. Tests for COVID, treatment of patients and preparation for making Turkovac available for use are all ongoing,” Koca wrote on Twitter. 

Turkey is presently working to develop its own COVID-19 jab, Turkovac, and administering the vaccine candidate to volunteers. 

The number of daily recorded coronavirus cases, which climbed to record highs of 60,000 in April, are now at around 30,000.

The country has administered more than 117 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines since mid-January, when it launched the inoculation drive. Over 49 million people have been fully vaccinated, while close to 56 million people have received one dose of the jab. Additionally, a little more than 11 million people have been given their third dose of the coronavirus shot.