More Turkish cities make face masks mandatory

ISTANBUL

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More provinces in Turkey have joined other provinces in making it mandatory for people to wear face masks when they go outside.

The local health authorities in İzmir, the country’s third largest city by population, and in the western province of Kocaeli have issued orders to this end.

The heath board in Kocaeli reminded that people are not allowed to go to shopping centers, barbershops, hair salons and marketplaces without face masks. In addition to those measures, the residents of the province are now required to have their protective face masks on when they go out to public places until further notice.

Similarly, the health board in İzmir said in a statement that in addition to rules which ensure social distancing, people in the city now have to have face masks on when they venture the streets and other public places.

Nearly, 30 provinces across the country now have made it mandatory for its residents to wear face masks when they step outside.

Turkey has rolled out its normalization program which foresees the gradual easing of the measures initially introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Shopping centers, barbershops, hair salons and some non-essential stores have already reopened.