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While the number of daily Covid-19 cases in the southeastern Diyarbakır province reached as high as 850 before the lockdowns implemented in early December, it currently registers 100 to 150 daily cases, according to the Diyarbakır Medical Chamber (DTO).
There are about 250 hospitalized Covid-19 patients with nearly 100 in intensive care units, Elif Turan, the head of the chamber, said in a press conference today (January 22).
The number of daily cases in Turkey has dropped from around 30,000 to 6,000 since the start of lockdowns, according to the Ministry of Health.
More than 1,500 health care personnel have been infected with coronavirus in the Kurdish-majority province since the start of the outbreak and 17 lost their lives, she added, saying that "almost all the burden of the pandemic is on health workers."
She also noted that diagnosis and treatment of cancer and chronic diseases have been hindered as health workers at public hospitals from almost all branches are involved in the fight against the pandemic.
"Because of that, the patient groups that need regular monitoring and treatment have not been able to access adequate health care service for 10 months, especially at public hospitals," she remarked.
Infections in prisons
There are also numerous Covid cases in Diyarbakır's prisons with the lack of physical distancing and appropriate ventilation, according to Turan.
"In the early period of the pandemic, many arrestees and convicts were released due to Covid-19 with political prisoners being excluded," she said. "However, it is within our knowledge that there are many cases of coronavirus contagion in prisons in Diyarbakır where political prisoners are high in numbers."
All prisoners should be vaccinated as soon as possible, Turan added, also calling for transparency regarding the vaccination process in the country. (RT/VK)
