Turkey imposes new nationwide virus restrictions

Amid rising fatalities from coronavirus, Turkey on Wednesday imposed new virus restrictions across the country.

The Interior Ministry sent a circular on expanding virus restrictions from 14 to all of Turkey's 81 provinces.

As of Friday, large gatherings such as outdoor weddings and other traditional celebrations will be toned down.

The duration of a wedding ceremony in Turkey has been limited to an hour, with a ban on dancing and serving of food.

People aged 65 and above and under 15, who are not first and second degree relatives of the bride and groom, will not be allowed to attend the wedding.

At least one public officer will attend the wedding ceremony to monitor the measures.

Earlier on Wednesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Turkey was witnessing the second peak of the pandemic as single-day deaths rose to above 40 over the past three days, a steep rise.

So far, Turkey had registered a total of 6,462 deaths due to COVID-19, while over 246,000 people have recovered from the disease. Currently, there are nearly 274,000 confirmed cases in the country.

Since first appearing in China last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions. The US, Brazil and Russia are currently the countries hardest hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed more than 858,000 people worldwide, with infections surpassing 25.8 million and recoveries over 17 million, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins University.