Turkey Closes Borders to 6 Countries to Guard Against New COVID-19 Strains

Ankara, MINA – Turkey on Monday announced that it suspended flights from six countries as part of measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a circular issued by Turkish Interior Ministry, the country suspended flights from Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka as of July 1 and until further notice.

According to Anadolu Agency, the ministry noted that the course of the pandemic in some countries showed a recent escalation due to the new variants of the COVID-19 virus.

In accordance with the Health Ministry’s recommendations, Turkey decided to shut down its borders for any direct entries including through land, air, sea or railway from these countries.

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The people arriving at Turkey from another country after having been in one of these countries in the last 14 days will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result conducted in the last 72 hours.

They will also be quarantined at places determined by local governorates for 14 days, at the end of which a negative test will be required one more time.

In case of a positive test result, the patient will be kept under isolation, which will end with a negative result in the following 14 days.

The ministry’s circular added that passengers arriving at Turkey from the UK, Iran, Egypt, and Singapore would be required to have a negative COVID-19 test result obtained in the last three days.

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Of the people coming to Turkey from countries other than Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the UK, Iran, Egypt and Singapore, those who can provide a document showing the administering of a COVID-19 vaccine in the last 14 days or recovery from COVID-19 infection in the last six months will not be required a test result or quarantined.

A negative COVID-19 test result conducted in the last 72 hours before arriving at Turkey or a negative rapid antigen test conducted within maximum 48 hours after their arrival will suffice for those failing to provide the documents.

It will be possible to have a sampling-based COVID-19 test for passengers incoming from all border gates.(T/R3/RE1)

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)