Turkey extends closure of schools until April 30 over coronavirus outbreak

Turkey will extend the closure of all schools in the country until April 30 due to the coronavirus outbreak and homeschooling will continue during this period, Education Minister Ziya Selcuk said on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

Turkey had shut schools and set up a home-schooling system for students to continue lessons online or through TV channels. Selcuk said the government would work to make up for the missed schoolwork once the closures are lifted.

“We will enrich efforts and make sure to meet all needs,” Selcuk told reporters in Ankara. “We can make up for the lost education, but we can’t make up for a disease. What is key is our students’ health.”

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, speaking alongside Selcuk, said the move was not a break, but rather a preventative measure to protect families.

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Turkey’s death toll from the coronavirus increased by seven to 44 on Tuesday and the number of confirmed cases rose by 343 to 1,872.

On Wednesday, the Health Ministry said that 26 patients had recovered as of Tuesday, the first figures for recovery announced in the country.

On Monday, Koca said that had Turkey had imported medicine from China that he said was believed to help with the treatment of coronavirus patients, adding that the medication was already being administered to patients in intensive care.

“As of today, 136 patients in intensive care have received the medicine,” Koca said on Wednesday, adding that experts and officials would examine the impact of the medicine in coming days.