New COVID-19 restrictions imposed in 2 Turkish cities

Residents who are 65 and older in Ankara and Istanbul have been restricted from leaving their homes except for certain hours as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus, local officials said Tuesday.

The elderly are allowed outside between 10 a.m. (0700GMT) and 4 p.m. (1300GMT) by keeping social distance guidelines and wearing masks, according to the provincial governor's office.

An exception has been made for public servants and those in certain professions, including doctors, health care workers, pharmacists, elected public officials, social workers and others.

Business owners, traders, industrialists, farmers, those who are self-employed and the heads of professional associations have been also exempted from restrictions.

Istanbul restricting will begin Thursday.

Turkey registered 2,529 new COVID-19 patients Tuesday, pushing that number to 399,360, according to official data.

Recoveries climbed 2,215 in the past day to 342,501, while the death toll stands at more than 11,000.

Across the world, the pandemic has claimed nearly 1.3 million lives in 190 countries and regions since last December.

The US, India, and Brazil are currently the worst-hit countries.

More than 51.2 million cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries nearing 33.3 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.