Turkey Lifts PCR Test Requirement for Unvaccinated in Many Areas

There’s a noticeable trend occurring in various countries right now.

COVID-19 measures are getting scrapped, and it may signal an impending end to the hysteria that has strangled the world for two years.

Mexico lifted its remaining COVID-19 entry restrictions, while Sweden announced they no longer require a negative COVID-19 test for entry.

Reports from England have signaled a massive rollback in COVID-19 measures later this month.

Turkey has joined the club by lifting its PCR test requirement for unvaccinated individuals in many areas of society.

Turkey lifts PCR requirement for unvaccinated in some areas – Anadolu https://t.co/3mGhEd6qdG pic.twitter.com/YJkHwowMeI

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 15, 2022

Turkish Airlines says it will not require PCR tests on domestic flights. https://t.co/yrPRsz3hc0

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) January 15, 2022

https://twitter.com/ahval_en/status/1482406745657856001

Turkey on Saturday lifted the requirement for unvaccinated individuals to take a PCR test for COVID-19 before using transportation, including planes and buses, in addition to ahead of attending events, including concerts and movieshttps://t.co/aAHZAnmo6A

— Ahval (@ahval_en) January 15, 2022

Reuters reported:

Turkey will no longer require unvaccinated individuals to take a PCR test for COVID-19 before using planes, buses or other transportation, or before attending events such as concerts, plays or movies, the state-owned Anadolu Agency said on Saturday.

Citing the interior ministry, Anadolu said unvaccinated civil servants, private-sector employees and school personnel will also not be required to take a PCR test.

Turkish Airlines CEO Bilal Eksi said separately on Twitter that the carrier will not require PCR tests on domestic flights.

The Turkish government lifted the restrictions on unvaccinated residents despite the country setting record highs for COVID-19 cases in recent days.

Maybe this is an indicator that Turkey will start utilizing the strategy to live with COVID instead of enforcing nonsensical policies.

However, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) voiced its displeasure.

Ahval News noted:

Earlier on Saturday, Turkey’s leading medical association condemned the previous easing of regulations by Ankara, which included the removal of quarantine for the vaccinated who had been in contact with the infected, as well as the lifting of PCR tests for those without symptoms.

Noting the new measured posed a major risk to citizens’ health, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) urged the Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board and all officials responsible for the regulations, to resign, Diken reported.

“The Health Ministry and the provincial health directorates are at a point where they have given up in their (in)ability to steer the pandemic,’’ the TTB said in a statement released on Saturday.

“This state of remaining indifferent to the high number of deaths and leaving the (situation) to its own devices, is not new and has been maintained since the beginning of the pandemic,’’ it added while urging for the resignation of government health officials.

Let’s hope common sense prevails and Turkey continues to lift restrictions that do nothing to halt the spread of respiratory viruses.