Turkey closes its border with Iran and suspends flights due to corona virus outbreak

The virus, which first appeared in China’s Wuhan city and killed more than 2,500 people in said country, was first spotted in Iran’s City of Qom last week. So far, eight people are reported to have died in Iran and dozens infected. Upon recent developments Turkey closed its border crossings with Iran and suspended flights.

On the other hand, Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca said that Turkish citizens living in Iran where the new type of corona virus was seen, could be brought to Turkey in case they wanted to be brought back home.

The Minister also said that they had not been late in closing the border with Iran, that all measures had been taken for two days, and that everyone who came from Iran by road, airline and railway had been screened for health.

He went on to say, “We didn’t allow the suspicious ones into the country, the ones with symptoms of a cold. Also, Turkish citizens carrying these symptoms have been under observation”. He also added following: “Those who came from the city of Qom, where the virus was first seen, have not been allowed into our country since the beginning”. He said his Iranian counterpart opposed their proposal to quarantine the city of Qom, whereupon the border was closed.

Upon a question as to when the border would be opened again the Minister said, “We will see if the outbreak is controlled” adding that the extent of the outbreak in Iran is likely to be high.