Week 36 in Turkey brings confusion and a crappy Christmas in prospect

 Edited BY


G P Kennedy


Gul – Aegean Coast, Turkey


NEW RESTRICTIONS

 The government has imposed curfews between 9 pm and 5 am on weekdays and full lockdown on weekends. Sectors such as production, supply, logistics, health, and, agriculture are exempted from the measures. 


 Groceries, butchers, and supermarkets offer order services during the curfews while cafes and restaurants continue only takeaway services. Stupidly, shopping malls stay open during weekdays but only people with codes are allowed. 


 People younger than 20 and older than 65 are banned from using public transportation and they can be out only for 3 hours during weekdays. But still a normal crowd out and about. People are walking without distancing. I knew Turkish people don’t like distance!



VACCINE CONFUSION

 The Turkish Health Minister has announced to plan to start using an experimental Chinese COVID vaccine later this month. Apparently, there is an agreement with China’s Sinovac for 50 million doses, which is currently in late-stage trials. 


 The vaccine would be used after Turkish labs confirm the shots are safe but I don’t trust them at all.

20,000 Turks volunteered for this vaccine at the moment but Phase III is still ongoing. 


 The vaccination will be rolled out as, the first group health care workers, + 65 and people living in care homes, next; essential workers and people above 50 with at least one chronic disease, third; people younger than 50 with at least one chronic illness, young adults and the workers, the final phase will be; for the rest of the population. 


CHRISTMAS IS CANCELLED 

The coronavirus crisis is changing all our lives in a way we could never have imagined. We hear so many people we know got infected every day. We only do online shopping and we talk to our neighbors only outdoors. 


 Almost every neighbor is careful like us but we still don’t go to each other’s houses. I’m dreaming of a large dinner party, lots of people are eating altogether, talking loudly, dancing without any fear. We were talking to Mike the other day that the first thing we would do a party after all this pandemic.


 Our Christmas tree and all the decorations are in our house in Istanbul. I miss our lovely tree. We’ll be alone this Christmas and it feels really weird.

We sent a box of Quality Streets to our daughter to Holland then the same day I read in the Guardian ‘the Quality Street won’t taste the same without my family’. How nice!

I wish you all sweet days as much as the Quality Street chocolates. 


I’m a bit hopeless. I think this is it for this week. Stay safe!

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