At least 12 Russian vacationers catch coronavirus in Turkey

At least 12 Russian vacationers have caught the coronavirus infection in Turkey. Two of them have been taken to hospital, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexei Yerkhov said on Monday.

"As of now, we, i.e. the embassy [in Turkey] and the consulate general in Antalya know about 12 infected tourists. Two of them are in hospital and ten are self-isolated in hotels," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

The diplomat recommended those who plan to visit Turkey buy a medical insurance covering coronavirus treatment. According to Yerkhov, one of the two hospitalized Russians had problems because he did not have a corresponding insurance cover. Nevertheless, he finally received medical assistance.

Russia suspended international air service in late March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Regular flights to London, Istanbul, and Tanzania were resumed from August 1. Direct flights to Turkey’s Antalya, Dalaman, and Bodrum were resumed from August 10.

The first coronavirus case in Turkey was confirmed on March 10. The patient was a local resident who returned from Europe. By now, the number of coronavirus cases in Turkey has exceeded 279,000, with 6,673 fatalities and 251,105 recoveries.