Turkey to require negative COVID-19 test for travelers to enter the country

Turkey announced Friday that it will require passengers traveling into the country to test negative for COVID-19.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said in a statement that starting Monday travelers will be required to provide a negative result from a PCR test taken three days before boarding international flights to Turkey. Tests had not been previously required for travel into the country.

The rule will also apply to travelers entering Turkey via land and sea routes starting Wednesday.

Any traveler who does not have their results will be quarantined at their destinations.

Turkey’s previous rule mandated travelers from the United Kingdom, Denmark and South Africa arriving in the last 10 days show a negative test and go into a weeklong quarantine.

The travel policy comes as Turkey looks to beat back one of the world’s worst outbreaks. The country is tallying 20,000 new cases per day, and more than 19,000 people in the country have died.