A customer buys face masks at a supermarket in Istanbul, Turkey, May 8, 2020. Supermarkets, pharmacies, and online platforms across Turkey started selling surgical facial masks on Friday after the Turkish government lifted the ban on their sales amid COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)
ISTANBUL, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Supermarkets, pharmacies, and online platforms across Turkey started selling surgical facial masks on Friday after the Turkish government lifted the ban on their sales amid COVID-19 outbreak.
The trade ministry made it clear that the selling price of a single mask would be a maximum of 1 lira (0.14 U.S. dollar).
The Metro supermarkets in Turkey said at a press release that the company would not add any profit to the prices in line with its policy against price speculations.
A box of 50 masks is sold at 45.9 liras at the Metro supermarkets, while the price of a box of masks with the same quality was determined as 50 liras in Migros markets.
Wearing masks in crowded places, including public transport, groceries and workplaces, are mandatory in Turkey.
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a series of steps to gradually ease COVID-19 restrictions and declared that barbershops and shopping malls would reopen on May 11.
