Speaking to reporters in the northwestern province of Bursa, Koca said 40% of total cases across the country were reported in the country’s largest city Istanbul, where cases were five times more than those in the capital Ankara.
Turkey reported another 2,102 people with COVID-19 symptoms on Thursday, the highest figure since May when Ankara imposed a series of restrictive measures. The death toll from the virus rose to 9,584 on Thursday, Health Ministry data showed.
Turkey’s top medical association and the main opposition party have criticised the government’s decision to only publish symptomatic COVID-19 patients, saying it hides the true scale of the outbreak.
Late on Thursday, Koca said residents in Istanbul should avoid crowded places unless necessary. On Friday, he said he would be hold discussions in Istanbul starting this weekend to evaluate the recent rise there.
Turkey imposed weekend lockdowns, restricted intercity travel and closed restaurants and cafes earlier this year to slow the spread of the virus.