The Turkish Interior Ministry sent new instructions to governorates of 81 provinces on Friday on COVID-19 measures, after Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced Turkey was lifting several pandemic-related restrictions earlier this week. Under the new instructions, passengers will not be required undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for domestic flights, whatever of their vaccination status.
Previously, PCR tests were required for unvaccinated or those without at least two doses of vaccines and those who are not infected with coronavirus 180 days before the flight.
For international flights, quarantine will not be required for people with negative PCR tests within 72 hours before the flight or antigen testing in the last 48 hours. The passengers go also be exempt from quarantine measures if fully vaccinated with at least two doses of vaccines and those who recovered from COVID-19 in the past six month.
Any test or health report will not be requested from passengers traveling to Turkey by land, sea and rail. Children below age of 12 will be PCR/antigen exempt test and the vaccine rule on international flights. Similarly, flight crews will be exempt from PCR testing and quarantine rules.
Ministry instructions are the formal implementation of the “new Ordinary” announced by Koca. They say masks are not required outside and in closed places with good ventilation and ability To keep social distancing. Masks are always required in schools, hospitals, cinemas and other similar places, as well as in public transport and inter-city travel, from airplanes and buses to rail and ferries.
The requirement of a HES code (Hayat Eve Sığar – Life Fits Into Home) was also survey for entry to multiple venues including malls, cinemas, etc. as well as in public transport, intercity buses, trains, domestic flights. HES, a QR code that every citizen must acquire via a smartphone application, makes it possible to identify people who tested positive for COVID-19[FEMALE[FEMININE
Although most people seem to adapt to new regulations, people Above all in big cities continue wearing masks outside, some out of usual, others fearing that infections are still widespread. Turkey succeeded in reduce the number of daily cases that have broken historical records last month and the latest thursday numbers show there have been only 49,424 cases and 188 deaths. Authorities warn that the pandemic is continuing and is deadly Above all for those with chronic diseases and senior citizens, even if hospitalizations are less than last year.
Professor Serap Şimşek Yavuz, member of the Ministry of Health’s Coronavirus Scientific Advisory Board which has been behind recommendations for lifting the mask-wearing and he is rule earlier this week, suggests that people should keep wearing masks outside if they cannot maintain social distancing.
Yavuz told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday that although the pandemic is still prevalent, they founded their new recommendations on the current figures concerning the pandemic, positive test hospitalization rate. She said the most countries sought to ease restrictions to facilitate the public exhaustion over month of limitations. She noted that masks are still essential indoors, especially in crowded places.
“You must wear masks in schools, buses and similar places car you can’t keep distance others in such places and there is no possibility of good ventilation,” she said. She also added this people should keep wearing masks in outdoor places like stadiums, which, although exterior, are still crowded during matches.
