Barbershops in Tavşanlı district closed after inspecting doctor tested positive

KÜTAHYA - Demirören News Agency

Some 50 barbers have been put under quarantine in the Tavşanlı district of the western province of Kütahya after a doctor, who was part of the inspection team, tested positive for COVID-19.

Turkey recently allowed barber shops and hair salons to reopen across the country as part of its program to relax coronavirus measures but said that teams will carry out regular inspections to see if those shops comply with health regulations.

Around 100 barber shops in Tavşanlı recommenced their service last week in line with new regulations and inspection teams visited those businesses. However, it emerged that a doctor, who was part of the inspection crew, had COVID-19.

The local health authorities found that the doctor visited 50 barber shops as part of the inspection efforts.

Contact tracing teams went out to the field to detect if the doctor spread the virus.

Turkey uses the “filiation” method to screen the chain of contacts in infectious diseases. If somebody tests positive, close contacts are also tested.

In the district, the owners and staff at the barber shops were put under quarantine in their homes for 14 days.

The doctor, who tested positive for the virus, is receiving treatment in the pandemic ward in the local hospital.

“Those shops were closed again after what happened. Tests were run on the shop owners and staff. We are waiting for the tests results to come out,” said Onur Düvenli, the head of the association which represents local barber shops and hair salon. Düvenli himself is also under quarantine.