Minister of Health, Dr Fahrettin Koca delivered a press statement following the Social Sciences Board and Coronavirus Scientific Board meetings.
In his speech, Minister Koca noted that the majority of the people had continued to follow the measures since day 1 and continued "However, we must remember that each and every member of the society should have the same sensitivity towards following the measures. In our battle, we cannot make exceptions or take a break."
Adding that he always tried to emphasize that the new period, which was kicked off on June 1, was not a typical normalization, Koca said "This period should have been about us trying to partially free ourselves without compromising our health. We should have been able to strike a balance between the measures and the things we were missing. We hoped that this new period would be well understood by the prudent public. I would like to leave it for your consideration as to how successful we have all been."
"The pandemic is gaining momentum"
"The pandemic is gaining momentum. The virus is infecting more and more people each day" said Koca and continued "As you can see, we are performing more tests every day. However, the new number of cases is not going down. The number of severe cases and those needing intensive care is increasing. The burden of hospitals all across the country is getting heftier. All of this requires sources and infrastructure as well as continuous care and service provision."
Call for responsibility
Koca said "Every step you take in a crowded environment, every time you forget to wear your mask, and every time you ignore a measure, you are hurting not one but tens of people. This discourages us and hinders our fight against the pandemic."
"Inhaling with a mask is easier than with intubation"
Adding that they were preparing for the new period in line with the pandemic action plan, Koca said "The continuity of measures is vital for us to succeed in this fight. We expect Turkish people to not only follow the measures but also to support us in control and inspection activities. Let us not forget that taking measures is easier than fighting, inhaling with a mask is easier than with intubation and spending time with our family at home is more peaceful than lying down in a hospital all alone."
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