Wearing face masks now mandatory in 50 of 81 provinces in Turkey

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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In statements released yesterday (June 18), the Governor's Offices of Tokat and Tekirdağ have announced that it is now mandatory to wear face masks outside as part of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) measures.

The Governor's Office of Tokat has announced the decision on Twitter, indicating that the decision was taken at the Provincial Public Health Board meeting. "Wearing a face mask will be mandatory in all open and closed spaces in Tokat as of June 22," Governor Ozan Balcı has stated.

The Governor's Office of Tekirdağ has also announced that wearing face masks in all open and closed spaces will be mandatory as of June 22 as per the decision of the Provincial Public Health Assembly.

Accordingly, while the citizens without a mask will be warned from June 19 to 21, they will be given an administrative fine of 900 lira as per the Article 282 of the Public Health Law as of Monday (June 22).

It is now mandatory in 50 of 81 provinces

With the addition of these two provinces, it is now forbidden to go out without wearing face masks in following 50 provinces:

Adıyaman, Afyon, Amasya, Ankara, Antep, Ardahan, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bartın, Batman, Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Elazığ, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Giresun, Iğdır, Isparta, İstanbul, Maraş, Karabük, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kırşehir, Kocaeli, Konya, Kütahya, Malatya, Mardin, Muğla, Muş, Nevşehir, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Siirt, Sivas, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Tokat, Tunceli, Urfa, Uşak, Yalova, Zonguldak.

Partial curfew on entrance exam days

On the other side, the Ministry of Interior has sent a circular to all Governor's Offices in Turkey regarding a partial curfew to be imposed across the country on the days of High-School Entrance Exam (LGS) on June 20 and Higher Education Entrance Exam (YKS) on June 28-29.

Accordingly, all citizens except for some exemptions will not be allowed to go out from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 20, when the LGS will be held. 

People will also be restricted from going out from 9.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 28 and from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. on June 29.

If the student will go to the exam place with public transportation, a relative who accompanies him or her will be exempted from the curfew. If the student will go there in a private vehicle, the driver and one relative, in addition to the student oneself, will be exempted. 

When the partial curfew is in effect, businesses such as bakeries, grocery stores, greengrocers, butcher's shops, sellers of dried nuts and fruits and pastry shops will be open. Those who bought tickets for intercity travel (plane, bus, train, ferry, etc.) will also be exempted from the curfew. (RT/EKN/SD)