Turkey has become third country to develop COVID-19 vaccine, claims President Erdogan

On August 9, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Turkey has become the third country after the United States of America and China to develop a local vaccine against coronavirus. According to media reports, while addressing opening ceremony of the TUBITAK Excellence Centres in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, the COVID-19 Turkey Platform, founded by the TUBITAK (the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey,) is currently working on eight different vaccines and 10 different medication projects.

He also added that Turkey is working with the private sector and universities for developing vaccines and Turkey has been making significant progress in developing vaccines and drugs against contagious coronavirus. Erdogan noted that two vaccine candidates have successfully completed the animal tests, and one of them has received ethical approval to move on to the clinical trial on humans.

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New Measures to curb COVID

Turkey’s interior ministry announced new measures on August 5 to curb the spread of COVID-19 as daily confirmed cases peaked back above 1,000. In a circular, the interior ministry said its units would conduct “one-on-one monitoring” for people who have been required to self-quarantine, especially in the first seven days of isolation. The ministry warned it would not accept any violations of the obligation to wear masks and maintain social distancing at gatherings such as weddings or circumcision ceremonies, on pain of fines and temporary closures. It said gatherings after funerals would be restricted.

To encourage precautions, businesses and transport services that meet safety requirements would be awarded a “safe space” logo after three inspections, the ministry said. The ministry also said contact tracers would be assisted by law enforcement in urban and some rural areas, or by teachers and imams elsewhere. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu tweeted that a wide-ranging inspection would take place across Turkey on August 6. According to fresh data currently, Turkey has 241,000 confirmed cases and 5,844 deaths because of the novel coronavirus.

(Image Credit-AP)

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