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After Missteps, Turkey Tames Coronavirus

Jamie Dettmer

   Turkey has turned into a surprising coronavirus success story, despite
   fears that its outbreak -- at one time one of the fastest growing in
   the world -- would spin out of control and leave the country
   overwhelmed.

   Even though its official death toll of 4,729 is disputed by some
   doctors, who say the real tally is likely higher because authorities
   include only those who test positive for the virus, the country appears
   to have averted the bigger disaster some epidemiologists predicted.
   This has happened despite early missteps and equivocations that allowed
   a surge in cases, particularly along the Black Sea, which could have
   been prevented, say analysts.

   "It's a fairly small club of countries that have been quite effective
   in reducing the viral spread," said Jeremy Rossman, a virologist at
   Britain's University of Kent.
   He told the BBC that Turkey is among the countries that responded
   quickly enough with testing and tracing to slow the transmission of the
   coronavirus without following the example of some European neighbors
   that opted for total lockdowns. The confirmed case tally is just over
   170,000.

   President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Tuesday the lifting of
   stay-at-home orders for people over 65, as well as for children, part
   of a further easing of restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the
   new coronavirus.

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