Health minister urges citizens not to lower guard as restrictions lifted

The end of the restrictions does not mean that the danger is over, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca warned Wednesday after the meeting with the Turkish government's Science Committee.

"The conditions for a complete return to normal life mean getting used to the daily usage of masks, social distancing and increased awareness of hygiene until the virus is rooted out," Koca said.

In light of the easing of travel restrictions, Koca said that unlike in Europe, Turkey sought all the citizens coming from abroad to undergo a health screening upon arrival.

Turkey's coronavirus death toll dropped to 17 on Wednesday, reaching a total of 4,746, he said, reporting on the latest figures.

The number of cases, meanwhile, increased by 922 to 173,036, with 36,521 tests carried out on Wednesday alone. According to Koca, 2,241 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of total recoveries to 146,839.

As of Wednesday, 631 COVID-19 patients were being treated in intensive care units, the minister added.