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Turkey bans flights from UK and 5 countries

March 17, 2020 at 4:01 pm

Boeing 787 on July 08, 2019 in Trabzon, Turkey [Hakan Burak Altunöz/Anadolu Agency]

Turkey yesterday imposed flight bans on six more countries including the UK and the United Arab Emirates, bringing the total number of countries to 20, the health minister announced.

Switzerland, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Ireland would also be added to the list, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca told reporters.

The interior minister had earlier ordered all bars, discos and nightclubs in all provinces to close.

The country’s top religious authority, the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), announced a ban on congregational prayer, including Friday prayers. Mosques will remain open for individual prayers.

Turkey closed schools and universities last week.

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