Turkish Interior Ministry announced late Friday a two-day curfew ​ in 31 provinces beginning at midnight as part of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

During the curfew, public and private hospitals, all healthcare product manufacturers, pharmacies, nursing homes and shelters, bakeries, emergency call centers, designated gas stations and veterinary clinics, postal and cargo delivery companies, energy companies and animal shelters will remain operational.

In Gaziantep, one of the cities where the ban has been imposed, citizens woke up to a quiet morning. The city's busiest streets and squares are empty and silent.

Police have been patrolling the city, setting up checkpoints at several points while residents have stayed at home.

During the morning hours only people working in public and private institutions not covered by the ban were allowed to go to work.

Coronavirus pandemic was officially confirmed to have spread to Turkey on March 11, a Turkish man who had contracted the virus while travelling in Europe.

On 12 March, the government announced that schools and universities in Turkey would be closed starting from 16 March as a measure to contain the spread of the virus.

The first death due to coronavirus disease in the country occurred on March 17.

On March 23, the Minister of Health Fahrettin Koca announced that cases of coronavirus had spread all over Turkey.

The Ministry of Health confirmed on Friday that the total number of cases increased to 47,029 and that the death toll reached 1,006.

The total number of tests performed has been 307,210 in the country.

ILKHA