Turkey to ease virus restrictions on June 1

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Turkey will relax several of its coronavirus restrictions on June 1.

Erdogan said Thursday in Istanbul that a ban on intercity travel will be lifted and restaurants, cafes, museums, clubs and swimming pools will reopen.

Public service workers, except those with chronic illnesses, will return to their workplaces while child care facilities will also be allowed to open, he said.

In a televised address following a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan said however, that a stay-at-home order for people aged 65 and over, and for minors will remain for a while longer.

Earlier Thursday, the country resumed limited intercity train services, while mosques are scheduled to partially reopen Friday.

In his speech, Erdogan called on the people to exercise caution, wear masks and keep to social distancing guidelines.

Meanwhile, the total number of confirmed infections in the country surpassed 160,000, with the Health Ministry announcing 1,182 new cases in the past 24 hours.

The ministry also reported 30 new deaths, raising the total COVID-19 fatalities to 4,461.

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

But the virus is highly contagious and can be spread by those with mild or no visible symptoms.

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