Coronavirus: Turkey announces four-day lockdown over Eid
Turkey will impose a four-day nationwide lockdown over the Eid al-Fitr holiday as part of measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement following a weekly cabinet meeting on Monday, saying the lockdown will be in effect from 23-26 May.
"Turkey is successfully winning the battle against this outbreak," Erdogan said.
The Turkish president, however, warned that stricter measures could be adopted if there was a second wave in the spread of the disease.
Eid al-Fitr is a holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and in Turkey, it is celebrated across a three-day period. This year's holiday is scheduled to fall between 24-26 May.
Turkey has recorded more than 150,000 cases of the novel virus and reported more than 4,000 deaths.
As a part of attempts to curb the spread of Covid-19, Ankara has imposed lockdowns across major cities over the past five weekends.
The country has recently begun easing some of the restrictions as infection rates continue to decrease. One of these measures includes the partial reopening of mosques for Friday prayers, which is scheduled to start on 29 May.
Erdogan added that schools in the country would not re-open until the new school year begins in September.
Other countries around the Middle East, including Algeria, Egypt, and Syria, have said they will not hold public prayers during the Eid al-Fitr holidays.
As a part of its coronavirus measures, Syrian authorities announced "the suspension of collective prayer in mosques for Eid", inviting people to conduct their prayers at home, according to state news agency SANA.
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