Turkey: Erdogan says new measures needed as COVID-19 cases rise

Erdogan

ISTANBUL, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said the government had to boost the measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 as the daily infected cases in the country have been on the rise for the last month.

Authorities recently limited the number of passengers in public transport and imposed new restrictions on bars, restaurants, and cafes across the country. Weddings and other ceremonies in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait, as well as open-air concerts and other festivals in the city, were also banned.

The daily number of cases in the country was reported as 1,648 on Thursday, taking the total number of infections to 298,039. The death toll reached 7,315, with the daily addition of 66.