The Science Committee Recommended It! Penalties Proposed for Those Not Wearing Masks! Because social distancing and mask use have not been sufficiently observed during the coronavirus pandemic, and because new case numbers have not declined, authorities are proposing fines for people who refuse to wear masks. Although Turkey has entered a normalization process, the daily count of new cases has stubbornly remained above 900. In response, members of the Science Committee have recommended imposing penalties on individuals who do not wear masks to help break this plateau.
After many coronavirus restrictions were lifted, the worst-case scenario on the case chart did not occur; however, daily case numbers have remained stagnant, and roughly 20% of this persistence has been attributed to rule violations. The country’s normalization process began on June 1, 2020, and officials had expected case counts to begin falling by the end of that week. At a recent Science Committee meeting, the effects of normalization were discussed. While lifting many restrictions and the resulting nationwide increase in activity did not produce a dramatic surge in cases, numbers have settled at a steady level. Committee members attribute this to a portion of the public failing to follow health measures.
Negligence Is the Main Reason for Steady Daily Case Numbers
Modeling conducted by the Ministry of Health had projected that daily cases would fall into the 500s by mid-June, and decline further below the 100s by early July. However, events such as military send-offs and pre-holiday visits appear to have kept the case count resisting at the 800–900 range.
In its assessment, the Science Committee noted that “these reopenings did not have overwhelmingly negative effects; rather, they slowed the pace of decline in case numbers, and the primary reason is negligence. If such negligence were widespread, we would face the same situation as Iran. Instead, we see localized noncompliance.” For this reason, the committee proposed introducing punitive measures aimed particularly at those who do not wear masks in indoor settings, in order to break the current resistance in case numbers. Committee members also recommended that, where cases are forecast to rise or potential clusters increase, authorities consider implementing targeted measures — including temporary stay-at-home orders when necessary — in affected provinces.