ISTANBUL (AP) – Turkey is taking precautions for international travel and requires a negative COVID-19 test for passengers to enter the country from Monday to March.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted a statement on Friday saying travelers would have to present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 72 hours to board international flights bound for Turkey. Previously, tests were not necessary to travel to Turkey.
The rule would apply to all land and sea arrivals from Wednesday. Travelers would be quarantined at their destination if they have no test results.
Travelers who came from the UK, Denmark and South Africa in the past 10 days should show a negative test result and quarantine for at least seven days until a second test.
Turkey is one of the worst infection rates in the world, with a weekly average of more than 20,000 confirmed daily infections. The total death toll is 19,371 according to official statistics.