Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya announced Monday that all ferries and other vessels carrying passengers to and from the city were ordered to suspend their services starting at 5 p.m. as part of precautions against the spread of the coronavirus.
The governorate’s order comes amid a spate of other measures against the COVID-19 threat.
Ferry services connecting Istanbul to other cities like Bursa and Balıkesir were already operating in a limited capacity.
Authorities had earlier suspended intercity bus services, and only passengers receiving a special permit from governorates for emergencies are allowed to travel by bus.
Domestic flights are also subject to special permits.
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Sunday that the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Turkey had jumped to 9,217 as the death toll hit 131.
According to the statistics released by the Health Ministry, 1,815 of the 9,982 most recent tests conducted came back positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
