ISTANBUL: Jalanan padat, pusat membeli-belah sibuk dan trafik sesak di serata Turki semalam berikutan kerajaan mungkin mengisytiharkan perintah berkurung di seluruh negara.
Tindakan drastik bagi mengekang penularan COVID-19 itu mendorong orang ramai membeli bekalan barangan sebagai stok.
Tahun lalu, Turki disifatkan negara paling berjaya dalam tindakan awal bagi memerangi wabak pandemik itu sehingga dipuji Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO).
Setahun selepas itu, Turki tergolong dalam kalangan negara teruk terjejas akibat COVID-19, apabila merekodkan kadar jangkitan tertinggi di Eropah.
Ankara masih boleh berbangga dengan kejayaan apabila merekodkan jumlah kematian rendah sekitar 39,000 orang dan menurut pihak berkuasa, pandemik masih terkawal susulan sistem penjagaan kesihatan yang kuat di negara itu.
Bagaimanapun, kebimbangan masih ada apabila berlaku peningkatan mendadak kes jangkitan COVID-19 sejak kebelakangan ini.
Menyusuli tempoh kedua penguatkuasaan sekatan bermula November tahun lalu, angka jangkitan harian menyusut sekitar 6,000 kes pada pertengahan Februari.
Selepas kerajaan mula melonggarkan sekatan pada Mac, muncul gelombang baharu wabak itu di Turki.
Kerajaan kemudiannya terpaksa melaksanakan semula sekatan bermula April, namun langkah itu tidak memadai untuk mengekang penularan jangkitan wabak maut itu.
Setakat ini saja, terdapat lebih 60,000 kes baharu direkodkan dalam tempoh sehari dan lebih 300 kematian.
Menurut pengkritik, kerajaan menarik sekatan terlalu awal dan pelaksanaan proses vaksinasi tidak cukup cepat.
Lebih 22 juta orang sudah menerima vaksin setakat ini di negara dengan 82 juta penduduk itu.
Turki menggunakan vaksin Sinovac yang dibangunkan China, termasuk sejumlah kecil vaksin Pfizer BioNTech.
Menteri Kesihatan, Fahrettin Koca, sebelum ini berkata Turki mempercepatkan diplomasi vaksin untuk suntikan dos membabitkan Sinovac, Pfizer BioNTech dan Sputnik V.
Kritikan lain yang dilontarkan kepada kerajaan adalah penganjuran kongres oleh parti diterajui Presiden Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dalam keadaan bersesak sedangkan banyak perhimpunan sosial dan tunjuk perasaan awam dilarang.
Menurut saintis, varian baharu terutama dari United Kingdom (UK) mempercepat kadar penularan di negara itu.
Apa pun alasan sehingga meletus gelombang baharu, Erdogan akhirnya mengumumkan perintah berkurung penuh berkuatkuasa 7 petang semalam sehingga 17 Mei. – AGENSI
ISTANBUL: The streets are crowded, the shopping centres busy and the traffic heavy.
This is the mood as Turkey prepares later on Thursday to enter its first full lockdown of the pandemic, to curb a surge in infections and deaths.
This time last year, Turkey was seen as a success story for its early combative action and was even praised by the WHO.
One year on, it is among the countries worst affected by Covid, with the highest infection rate in Europe.
Ankara is still proud of its relatively low total number of deaths, at around 39,000, and authorities say the pandemic is still under control, thanks to the country’s strong healthcare system. But the spike in the number of cases is worrying.
Following a second period of restrictions starting last November, the number of daily cases fell to around 6,000 at one point in mid-February.
But as soon as the government started to ease the restrictions in March, a new wave struck Turkey.
The government then U-turned to re-impose restrictions at the beginning of April. However, that was not enough to curb the spread of infections.
At its height in April, there were more than 60,000 new cases a day and more than 300 deaths.
According to critics, the government lifted restrictions too early and the vaccination process has not been fast enough.
More than 22 million people have been vaccinated so far in this country of 82 million.
Turkey mainly uses the Chinese Sinovac vaccine, as well as lower numbers of Pfizer-Biontech.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said recently: “We have sped up vaccine diplomacy for the injections including Sinovac, Pfizer-Biontech and (Russia’s) Sputnik V”.
Another criticism was that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party organised packed congresses in March while many social gatherings, public protests were banned.
Scientists also say the new variants, especially the UK (Kent) strain, have accelerated the infection rate.
Whatever the reason for the new wave, Mr Erdogan has finally announced a full lockdown effective from 19:00 (16:00GMT) on Thursday until 17 May.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
