Istanbul to limit indoor gatherings over pandemic

The Istanbul governor's office on Saturday issued a statement titled "Pandemic Measures for Weddings in Istanbul", banning some indoor gatherings as of Monday.

According to the statement, some events and gatherings including engagement ceremonies, and similar activities will not be allowed in any indoor areas as part of new measures to stem the spread of the virus.

At the wedding and ceremony halls, seating arrangements should not exceed one-third of the total capacity, in accordance with social distancing measures, said the statement.

Under the new regulations, no food or drinks will be served at these events while citizens aged 65 and over as well as children under the age of 15 -- unless they are first- or second-degree relatives to the bride or groom -- are not allowed to attend such occasions.

The new regulations will become effective as of Monday 8 a.m. local time.

Turkey on Friday confirmed 1,517 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the nationwide tally to 265,515.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced the number of recoveries reached 241,809.

Citing the ministry data, Koca said 1,017 additional patients recovered from COVID-19, while the death toll rose to 6,245 as 36 more people lost their lives to the disease.

The coronavirus pandemic has claimed nearly 838,000 lives in 188 countries and regions since it originated in China last December. The US, Brazil, India, and Russia are currently the worst-hit countries.

More than 24.76 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries exceeding 16.21 million, according to figures compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University.