Interior Ministry Issues Supplementary Circular

Turkchem 24 Mar 2020 62 2 dk okuma

TURKCHEM

Ministry of Interior issues additional circular to provincial governorates on store operating hours, customer capacity in stores, and public transport vehicles operating within and between cities as part of measures to combat novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The circular regulates store operating hours and the number of customers shopping in stores. Additionally, all public transport vehicles operating within cities and between cities will temporarily accept passengers at 50% of the passenger transport capacity specified in the vehicle license.

The circular reiterates that the fundamental risk factor in the COVID-19 outbreak is venues where citizens gather in large numbers, given the high transmissibility and rapid spread of the virus.

For this reason, measures have been taken by all state institutions to prevent the spread of this outbreak and the threat it poses to citizens' lives, most notably the suspension of activities in many public venues, and rules to be observed in this context have been established and shared with the public.

The circular states that additional measures are necessary for stores and public transport vehicles operating within and between cities to prevent the outbreak from spreading further. The measures taken are listed as follows:

All stores in provinces/districts will operate between 09:00-21:00. The maximum number of customers in a store shall be one-tenth of the total area directly serving customers (excluding warehouses, administrative offices, etc.). For example, if the store's customer service area is 100 square meters, a maximum of 10 customers may be inside at the same time.

All stores shall post the maximum number of customers allowed inside based on the size of the service area at store entrances. They will take necessary measures to ensure the specified number of customers are present inside. If the specified number of customers is present inside the store, no new customer shall be admitted until a customer exits. Stores shall also continuously remind customers waiting to enter to maintain at least one meter distance from one another, and notices stating this shall be posted visibly at store entrances.

All public transport vehicles operating within and between cities in provinces/districts (including intercity passenger buses) shall accept passengers at 50% of the passenger transport capacity specified in the vehicle license; the seating arrangement of passengers inside the vehicle shall prevent contact between passengers.

The Ministry requests that Governors/District Governors take necessary decisions regarding these measures within the framework of the Law on the Protection of Public Health and other applicable legislation, that decisions concerning stores be made in cooperation with provincial/district municipalities, that matters related to public transport vehicles be urgently planned and implemented under the effective supervision and coordination of traffic police, and that all law enforcement units monitor the matter and ensure the implementation is carried out without any disruptions.