Aerial footage of empty Istanbul streets in lockdown

The streets of Istanbul were empty on Saturday morning after the Turkish Government declared a two-day curfew. Many historic landmarks and once bustling locations were completely empty as a result of the lockdown.

An Interior Ministry statement on Friday said all residents of Istanbul, Ankara and 29 other cities will be barred from leaving homes from midnight (2100GMT) on Friday until Sunday midnight.

Turkish health authorities have reported more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases, pushing the total to above 50,000 since recording its first confirmed infection exactly a month earlier.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Saturday there was 5,138 cases over the previous 24 hours, taking the country’s total to 52,167.

The death toll rose to 1,101 with the addition of 95 fatalities.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and can lead to death.