The Turkish military announced that it would make some of its staff guesthouses available for use by medical personnel fighting in the front lines against the novel coronavirus, the country's National Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.
A total of 254 rooms in various guesthouses in Istanbul are already in use by medical staff, the ministry announced.
The move came at the instruction of Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.
The Turkish Armed Forces said new guests or visitors would not be allowed inside these facilities, which normally only cater to military personnel apart from those currently staying due to absolute necessity.
In Turkey, the novel virus has infected over 30,200 people and caused 649 deaths so far, according to official figures on late Monday.
Since appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the coronavirus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions.
Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections surpassing 1.36 million with over 76,300 deaths. More than 292,100 people have recovered. -
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