As Older People Reluctant to Stay Home During Pandemic, Authorities Remove Park Benches

Photo: Üsküdar Municipality

Click to read the article in Turkish

People over 60 years of age are known to be at higher risk for the coronavirus. However, they have been reluctant to stay home during the pandemic so far, despite warnings by authorities.

Public transport usage statistics by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality show that more than 200 thousand older people used public transport on Thursday (March 19). Though there has been a decrease from 600 thousand on March 11, the day Turkey confirmed its first coronavirus case.

Recent #publictransport usage trends in #Istanbul by age group.

: #Istanbul Statistical Office @istatistikofisi pic.twitter.com/v2mKUnodU0

— Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (@municipalityist) March 20, 2020

In the Üsküdar district on the Asian side of the metropolis, the municipality took further measures today to discourage the elderly from going out by removing park benches throughout the district.

"We made our attitude clear to our uncles and aunts," Üsküdar Mayor Hilmi Türkmen said, advising the elderly to abide by the warnings and stay home.

Üsküdar geneli #EvdeKal çağrısına uyulduğunu görüyoruz ama bir yer hariç; amcalarımızdan, teyzelerimizden özür dileyerek Mimar Sinan Çarşısı ve eski belediye binamızın önündeki bankları kaldırdık. Hep birlikte kurallara uyalım, en yakın zamanda daha güzellerini koyarız inşaAllah. pic.twitter.com/r7M87M3ebT

— Hilmi Türkmen (@hilmiturkmen34) March 20, 2020

Üsküdar Municipality also called on older people to stay home in a humorous tweet with a picture that shows a street dug by a dozer. "We love you, byt don't make us do this," the tweet said.

Sizleri çok seviyoruz ama bize bunu yaptırmayın #EvdeKal pic.twitter.com/Nz0JcwnP0c

— Üsküdar Belediyesi (@uskudarbld) March 21, 2020

Turkey has confirmed 670 patients and nine deaths of Covid-19, with all the deceased people being 60 years old or older. (RT/VK)