Istanbul brought to standstill by cornavirus lockdown

Video. Istanbul brought to standstill by cornavirus lockdown

Thirty-one major provinces in Turkey on Saturday headed into the second round of a weekend lockdown, as part of measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

Thirty-one major provinces in Turkey on Saturday headed into the second round of a weekend lockdown, as part of measures to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

Footage from Istanbul showed empty streets and a police checkpoint.

Last week, the government's 48-hour weekend lockdown order came just two hours before the curfew, prompting panic shopping by an estimated 250,000 people in Turkey.

The Turkish health ministry on Saturday reported that 126 more people had died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, bringing the country's death toll to 1,769.

According to the health ministry, 78,546 people in Turkey have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.