- On 30/04/2021
- In Tips for travellers COVID
- Tags: covid, curfew, lockdown, restrictions, rules, Turkey, vaccinations
Turkey Applies Nationwide Lockdown Till May 17
Turkey Applies Nationwide Lockdown Till May 17
Turkey Applies Nationwide Lockdown
Due to the latest covid restrictions implemented from April 29, Turkey is now under curfew till the end of Eid, May 17. The curfew started from 7 pm on April 29th and will last till 5 am on May 17th.
Besides the major industry branches, people are forced to stay in houses to lower the speed of the spread and minimize the number of new cases as they were threatening the healthcare system in the past few weeks. The government thinks that this is a chance to normalize in summer with the ongoing vaccination.
Only one-fifth of the population is vaccinated till today but the authorities are optimistic about the process as 50 million doses more are going to be received from Russia in the near future.
The foreigners who visit the country for touristic purposes are kept away from the restrictions which means that Turkey does not close its door to tourists. The museum and tourist attractions remain open with few exceptions and tours could be organized with necessary cautions.
The Most Recent Covid Restrictions For Tourists
Turkey Applies Nationwide Lockdown
First of all, Turkey requires a negative PCR test result to enter the country. The test has to be done within 72 hours of time before arriving. All the direct flights from South Africa, the UK, Denmark, and Brazil remain canceled and the passengers arriving from one of these countries have specific restrictions like staying in quarantine and declaring more than one test.
Intercity travel is allowed for touristic purposes for foreigners and hotels are still operating.
Also, inner-city transportation in Istanbul continues without minor lines but the vehicles do not run as frequently as the normal schedule.
The exceptions are the Bosphorus trips that do not work during the lockdown and the lines as follows. T1 Taksim-Kabatas funicular line, TF2 Eyup-Pierre Loti cablecar line, M6 Levent-Hisarustu metro line, TF1 Macka-Taskisla cablecar line and T3 Kadikoy-Moda tramway line will not be operating during the lockdown.
Museums will be open for visitors except for the cisterns. Tourists will be able to visit the museums and attractions with certain cautions. However, there are some things that tourists may not enjoy.
The bazaars (Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, Arasta Bazaar) will remain closed till the end of the curfew. The dinner cruises will not run because of the dining restrictions.
The rules regarding the eateries will continue, seated eating is not allowed and restaurants will only offer deliveries or takeaways. The markets, bakeries, groceries, etc will be open for daily needs and operate between 7 am and 6 pm.
The restrictions seem not to be appealing but with the temperature rise, especially by the southern coast of Turkey, you may have a chance to take your vacation easy and relax during the days of nationwide curfew. If you consider visiting Turkey during the lockdown, we will be more than happy to assist you with your experience.
