Turkey: Over 28,000 returnees from abroad in quarantine

ANKARA

More than 28,000 Turkish citizens are in quarantine after returning from abroad as part of measures to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, an official said on Sunday.

A total of 28,700 citizens are in isolation at dormitories across 76 provinces, said Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu.

Some 37,468 citizens have so far been released from quarantine after completing the mandatory 14-day period, he added.

On the orders of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, Turkey repatriated around 25,000 of its citizens from 59 countries ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The government has brought back over 60,000 nationals from various countries since the start of the pandemic that has claimed more than 244,000 lives in 187 countries.

In Turkey, a total of 3,336 people have died while more than 58,000 have recovered from the disease. Currently, there are 124,375 confirmed cases in the country.