Turkey expands virus restrictions amid rising cases

Turkey is expanding restrictions imposed on social gatherings such as wedding and engagement parties and henna nights in more than a dozen provinces to the entire country.

An interior Ministry circular sent to Turkey's 81 provinces late Wednesday said such social gatherings will be banned from Friday.

Marriage registration ceremonies will be allowed to take place but will be restricted to one hour only.

The decision came after the country's health minister said the country is experiencing the second peak of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak and blamed gatherings at weddings and holidays.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of Turkey's scientific advisory council, Fahrettin Koca said the government has been advised to consider expanding restrictions imposed on social gatherings such as weddings, engagement parties and henna nights in more than a dozen provinces, to the whole of the country.

The capital Ankara has now the highest number of active coronavirus cases, having overtaken Istanbul, Koca said.

The minister added that nearly 30,000 health sector workers have contracted the virus since the outbreak and 52 have died.

The number of daily infections have tipped above 1,500, levels previously seen in mid-June.

More than 273,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Turkey since March.