The Turkish military has been putting special emphasis on social distancing while conducting its activities, as part of measures against the coronavirus pandemic, the Defense Ministry said Sunday.
According to a Twitter post shared by the ministry, the troops are maintaining distance from each other in common areas, such as the dining hall and military mess.
"As part of the measures that we have taken against the invisible enemy #COVID19, high emphasis is being put on social distancing of our soldiers in common areas. #COVID19 is not stronger than the measures that we are taking," the ministry said in the post.
The Turkish military has also established a coordination center to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus outbreak among its members. The center aims to monitor and manage the measures against the virus in military units and headquarters.
“We have taken all individual and institutional precautions and continue to do so. We have dispatched all equipment, including thermal cameras, to the areas and most importantly, we have given the full prerogative to control the entries and exits to the operation area of our army command,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in March when the outbreak emerged.
The armed forces are also producing medical masks and sanitizers, Akar said, adding, "We aim to meet the needs of not only the Turkish Armed Forces but of all of our people by increasing production."
Meanwhile, Turkey’s daily COVID-19 death toll has dropped to 61, while the number of recovered patients has exceeded the number of current coronavirus patients for the first time, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Sunday.
The number of recovered patients in Turkey has reached 63,151, with 4,892 more recoveries Sunday. Some 24,001 tests had been conducted over the past 24 hours.
"We will achieve even better results if we continue to abide by the precautionary advice," Koca said on Twitter.
The total death toll in the country from coronavirus has risen to 3,397 as 61 more people died over the past 24 hours, according to Health Ministry data.
The country registered 1,670 new cases, bringing the tally to 126,045, according to Koca.
In the last 24 hours, over 24,001 additional tests have been conducted, and the total number of tests exceeded 1.13 million.
Turkey has recorded 3,397 deaths since the first diagnosed case while 1,424 patients still remain in intensive care.
Turkey has so far avoided a total lockdown but has ordered anyone above the age of 65 or below the age of 20 to remain at home. Although schools and businesses, such as cafes and hairdressers, were shut down, many businesses and offices remain open and workers continue to go to work. The country has also implemented weekend curfews since late April.
