Health minister says schools will never close despite high COVID-19 infections

REUTERS

Turkey will “never” close schools again despite a recent rise in COVID-19 infections and the government is mulling various methods to continue in-person education, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

After months of online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey reopened schools this month, while removing most restrictions over the summer. It also began asking for a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination from teachers and also for certain public events.

Turkey’s daily infections have risen over the last month at a rate higher than most peer countries to just below 30,000 per day, as have average positive tests, according to global data.

Daily deaths, which rose to around 250 this month, have fallen slightly and Turkey’s vaccination rate based on population is higher than most peers.