ISTANBUL, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 cases are once again on the rise across all over Turkey, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on Friday in the northwestern province of Bursa, saying Istanbul is the worst-hit city in the country.
Koca said he would be in Istanbul for five consecutive days starting from the weekend, meet with city officials and join the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Committee meeting there to discuss possible measures.
In a tweet he posted the previous evening, the minister pointed out that Istanbul, with a population of over 16 million, has accounted for 40 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in the country.
"We will give the toughest test in Istanbul in the crowded places," Koca said, urging residents not to enter crowds unless necessary.
Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya on Friday announced that officials inspected the isolation conditions of over 31,500 citizens across the city the previous day alone.
"Twelve people, who did not follow the quarantine requirements, were transferred to dormitories or hostels," Yerlikaya said on his Twitter account. Enditem