Istanbul bans indoor gatherings over pandemic

The office of the Istanbul’s governor has on Saturday issued a statement titled “Pandemic Measures for Weddings in Istanbul”, which banned some indoor gatherings Monday henceforth.

The statement said, “Some events and gatherings including engagement ceremonies, and similar activities will not be allowed in any indoor areas as part of new measures to stem the spread of the virus.”

“At the wedding and ceremony halls, seating arrangements should not exceed one-third of the total capacity, in accordance with social distancing measures,” the statement says

“Under the new regulations, no food or drinks will be served at these events while citizens aged 65 and over as well as children under the age of 15 — unless they are first- or second-degree relatives to the bride or groom — are not allowed to attend such occasions,” it adds.

The statement further reiterate that the new regulations will become effective as of Monday 8 a.m. local time.

Turkey on Friday confirmed 1,517 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the nationwide tally to 265,515.