ISTANBUL, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey on Tuesday imposed new preventive measures to curb the resurgence of the COVID-19 cases following the easing of restrictions since the beginning of June.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced on his Twitter account that wearing masks became mandatory in five more provinces, including the eastern province of Erzurum and southeastern Diyarbakir.
He said provincial sanitation committees continued to take decisions against the growing risk in the cities where the coronavirus cases were on the rise.
"In our 42 provinces, wearing a mask is now a social responsibility, enforced by sanctions," Koca noted.
On June 1, the Turkish government allowed cafes, restaurants, sports facilities, parks, beaches, and museums to reopen and partially lifted the lockdown restrictions for the elderly in line with the normalization process.
But days after the announcement, the number of new coronavirus cases started to follow an upward trend across the country.
Turkey, the second hardest-hit country by the pandemic in the Middle East, on Monday reported 1,592 new infections and 18 new deaths, taking the tally of COVID-19 cases to 179,831 and the death toll to 4,825.
Secil Ozkan, a member of the Scientific Committee, urged Turkish people to strictly follow the rules as the risk is continuing to increase.
"The cases have especially increased in some of the provinces where there have been small gathering activities such as condolence visits and engagements," Ozkan was quoted as saying by the NTV broadcaster.
"It is not appropriate to create crowded environments over 10 people and organize such activities," she noted.
In Turkey's biggest city Istanbul, with a population of over 16 million, local officials have also boosted the preventive measures for public transport vehicles, cafes, and restaurants to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said in a written statement issued on Monday that daily inspections would be carried out in a total of 39 districts to restrict business hours of cafes and restaurants, enforce social distancing rule, and demand wearing masks in crowded locations.
As part of the announced measures, local officials have so far inspected over 3,200 businesses across Istanbul and fined 41 of them for not following the rules, according to the governor's office.
"Citizens will not be allowed to walk in squares, streets, and avenues without considering the social distancing rule," Yerlikaya also noted, adding that all kinds of gatherings and activities of NGOs that bring people together were temporarily suspended.
Istanbul accounts for 60 percent of the total COVID-19 cases in Turkey, and wearing a mask is still not an obligation in the city except in crowded locations such as public transportation, markets, and shopping malls. Enditem
