ISTANBUL, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday said a total of 39 locations across the country are put under quarantine due to the rising number of confirmed cases for COVID-19.
"Currently, 39 villages and neighborhoods across the country are under quarantine," Erdogan said at a televised address to the nation.
He once again urged Turkish people to perform personal quarantines to help curb the fast-growing spread of the virus.
"The more our citizens keep themselves at home through voluntary quarantines, the shorter the process of returning our lives to normal," he said.
The president also explained the reason behind the Turkish government not declaring a nationwide curfew is to ensure the continuity of production to support export and the supply of basic needs.
He urged the companies that would continue production to take necessary precautions to protect the health of their employees.
Meanwhile, he noted that Turkey has been opening new hospitals while strengthening the existing ones in line with the requirements of the outbreak of COVID-19.
"We are planning to open our Ikitelli City Hospital in Istanbul in May with a bed capacity of 2,682," he said, noting that Goztepe City Hospital, with 1,000-bed capacity, will be one of the most modern hospitals in the country when completed in September in Istanbul.
Erdogan also launched a National Solidarity Campaign to collect money for those who have been passing through a difficult time due to the outbreak.
"I am inaugurating the campaign personally by donating my salary of this month," he said.
The Turkish leader also noted that Turkey would send some aid supplies to Spain within a few days.
"Similarly, through the Turkish Red Crescent, we shipped some relief materials to Italy, which was also going through a troubled period," Erdogan said.
The death toll from the virus in Turkey climbed to 168, and the confirmed cases totaled 10,827 on Monday, according to the latest figures of the Health Ministry.
