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Turkey will have another lockdown next weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a speech on Monday after a meeting with his cabinet.

The lockdown from April 17 to April 19 will apply to the same 31 provinces that were on curfew last weekend, Erdogan said. The lockdown order applies to more than 63 million people across the 31 provinces including the large metropolitan areas of Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

The weekend lockdowns will continue as long as needed, Erdogan said.

The last minute lockdown announcement by the interior ministry last weekend lead to throngs of people going out to stock up on essentials leading to chaotic scenes in breach of social distancing guidance. Turkey’s interior minister submitted his resignation over the events but Erdogan has not accepted the offer.

About Turkey's coronavirus cases: The number of the cases in the country now stands at 61,049, according to the latest figures released by the Turkish health ministry. At least 1,296 people have died from the virus, the ministry said.

Turkey has tested at least 410,556 people for coronavirus, according to the ministry.