People fish on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 9, 2020. The old bridge at the historical heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Tuesday is filled with anglers, raising concerns of the Turkish government and local authorities over the spread of COVID-19. After the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions last week, more than 500 fishermen each day flocked to the Galata Bridge, a hotspot fishing location in the European part of the city, spanning the Golden Horn. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

 
The old bridge at the historical heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Tuesday is filled with anglers, raising concerns of the Turkish government and local authorities over the spread of COVID-19.

After the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions last week, more than 500 fishermen each day flocked to the Galata Bridge, a hotspot fishing location in the European part of the city, spanning the Golden Horn.

The crowd immediately drew the attention of the Turkish government and local authorities, raising their concerns over the spread of the coronavirus.

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca issued a warning particularly for those fishers on the bridge from his Twitter account on June 6.

Commenting on a photo that showed the crowd, Koca said that "we understand from the photo taken ... on the Galata Bridge that the 1.5-meter distance rule among fishermen has not been followed."

Municipal police forces also started to patrol the bridge and warn anglers to follow the social distancing rule.

Hikmet Durak, a frequenter of the bridge, is a retired Istanbul resident.

"I am afraid of COVID-19," Durak said, pulling his face mask upward towards his nose.

"I am warning those who come closer to me," he told Xinhua.

Huseyin Demir, a 45-year-old Istanbul resident, used to be among the frequenters of the bridge. But now, he prefers to go to the Karakoy port for fishing as it is calmer and safer.

"The bridge is the most crowded fishing location in the entire city," he told Xinhua.

In Demir's view, most of the regulars of the bridge are economically deprived people and their sole concern is to make a living out of some fish they can get each day.

With 900 to 1,000 new cases are recorded each day, the coronavirus still poses a significant threat to the Turkish society, said health officials.

On Monday, Turkey confirmed 989 new COVID-19 cases and 19 more deaths in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of cases in the country to 171,121 and the death toll to 4,711, according to the latest official data.

People fish on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 9, 2020. The old bridge at the historical heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Tuesday is filled with anglers, raising concerns of the Turkish government and local authorities over the spread of COVID-19. After the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions last week, more than 500 fishermen each day flocked to the Galata Bridge, a hotspot fishing location in the European part of the city, spanning the Golden Horn. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

 

People fish on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 9, 2020. The old bridge at the historical heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Tuesday is filled with anglers, raising concerns of the Turkish government and local authorities over the spread of COVID-19. After the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions last week, more than 500 fishermen each day flocked to the Galata Bridge, a hotspot fishing location in the European part of the city, spanning the Golden Horn. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

 

People fish on the Galata Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 9, 2020. The old bridge at the historical heart of Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Tuesday is filled with anglers, raising concerns of the Turkish government and local authorities over the spread of COVID-19. After the government eased the COVID-19 restrictions last week, more than 500 fishermen each day flocked to the Galata Bridge, a hotspot fishing location in the European part of the city, spanning the Golden Horn. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)