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Istanbul: Mosques in Turkey reopened on Friday for mass prayers after more than two months as the government further eased strict restrictions to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

Turkey has been shifting since May to a "new normal" by easing lockdown measures and opening shopping malls, barbershops and hair salons.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said many other sites -- restaurants and cafes as well as libraries, parks and beaches -- will reopen from Monday.

Hundreds of worshippers wearing protective masks performed mass prayers outside Istanbul's historic Blue Mosque for the first time since mosques were shut down in March.

In the Ottoman-era Fatih mosque, worshippers prayed both inside and outside, with the municipality handing out disinfectants and disposable carpets.

"I have waited a lot for this, I have prayed a lot. I can say it's like a new birth, thanks to God, he has brought us back here," he said.

Another worshipper, Asum Tekif, 50, said: "It has a been a long time... we missed the mosques."

Turkey, a country of 83 million, has so far recorded 4,489 coronavirus-related deaths and 162,120 confirmed cases.

Prayers in Hagia Sophia

Muslim clerics on Friday recited prayers in the Hagia Sophia, the world famous Istanbul landmark which is now a museum after serving as a church and a mosque.

The prayers were held to celebrate the anniversary of the conquest of Constantinople, today's Istanbul, by the Ottomans in 1453.

"It is very important to commemorate the 567th anniversary of the conquest ... through prayers in the Hagia Sophia," said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who attended the ceremony via videoconference.

The stunning edifice was first built as a church in the sixth century under the Byzantine Empire as the centrepiece of its capital Constantinople.

After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a mosque before being turned into a museum during the rule of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, in the 1930s.

But there have been hints about reconverting the Hagia Sophia into a mosque. Last year, Erdogan himself mooted the possibility of turning Hagia Sofia museum into a mosque.

Such calls have sparked anger among Christians and raised tensions with neighbouring Greece.

In 2015, a Muslim cleric recited the Koran in the Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years to mark the opening of an exhibition.

After Friday prayers at the Blue Mosque, a small group of Muslim worshippers shouted: "Let the chains break and let the Hagia Sophia open".

The group was later dispersed by the police who stopped them from protesting near Hagia Sophia that sits immediately opposite the Blue Mosque.

Udupi, Jun 2: As many as 150 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Udupi district on Tuesday. This is the highest spike in COVID-19 cases in a single day in the district.

According to the district administration, all the 150 persons have travel history from Maharashtra. The number of COVID-19 cases has more than doubled when compared to June 1, when the district recorded 73 cases.

Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha said here that of the 150 persons who tested positive, 120 were male and 30 female. This also included nine children aged less than 10. All these persons had been shifted to the designated hospitals for treatment.

He said that since 2,000 persons were tested in the last two days, 150 persons were found positive. Earlier, about 200 to 300 persons were being tested daily and about 10 to 15 used to be found positive. Nearly 10 % of persons coming from Mumbai/Maharashtra tested positive for COVID-19.

“We have 1,120 beds to treat COVID-19 positive cases in the district. Even after including these 150 persons, we still have 800 beds left. Hence, people need not panic. We will provide treatment for all affected persons,” Mr. Jagadeesha said.

With 150 cases on Tuesday, the total number of persons who have tested positive in the district since March has touched 410. There are 345 active cases.

As many as 63 persons who had recovered had been discharged from hospitals. There was one death due to the disease on May 14. The test reports of nearly 5,400 persons are still awaited.

The district had recorded only three COVID-19 cases from March 29 to May 14. But the number of COVID-19 cases started increasing from May 15.

Udupi, July 17: An Indian expatriate from coastal Karnataka who was working in Kuwait passed away in a hospital in the oil-rich country reportedly due to covid-19.

Sheikh Mohammed Syed (54) was a native of Kharvi in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district. He is survived by his mother, wife and three daughters. 

An ex athletic champion from Bhandarkars' Arts & Science College, he was a well-known Volleyball and Kabaddi player in Kundapur.  He was associated with many sports associations in Udupi. 

An employee of KRH firm, he was hospitalized in Kuwait three weeks ago due to ill health. He was tested positive for covid-19.

He breathed his last yesterday without responding to any treatment. Final rites were held in Kuwait. 

Prior to migrating to Kuwait, he had worked in United Arab Emirates for several years. A sports enthusiast, he had trained many athletes in Udupi.