New Measures Against Coronavirus in Istanbul: Children Banned from Markets and Bazaars
In a recent announcement, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya stated that children will not be permitted in markets and bazaars across Istanbul as part of enhanced coronavirus precautions. According to Governor Yerlikaya’s post on Twitter, the new restriction prohibits children from entering market and bazaar areas throughout the city. This measure adds to the series of steps taken to limit virus spread, with officials emphasizing that families should comply with the decision and exercise necessary caution.
Intercity Travel Restrictions Announced Across Turkey
The Ministry has announced nationwide intercity travel restrictions, and Governor Ali Yerlikaya confirmed those measures in a separate statement. He clarified exemptions for transportation related to factory workers: shuttle services that carry factory employees and certain minibuses that cross provincial borders to transport workers are exempt from the intercity travel ban. Governor Yerlikaya explained these points in a Twitter post and reiterated that exempt services must still follow public health rules.
Specifically, shuttle buses that pick up factory workers from their residences and transport them across provincial lines are not subject to the intercity passenger transport limitation. For example, if a factory shuttle runs between Istanbul and Gebze, that service may continue operating, but it must comply with the guidance issued for worker transportation. Those rules include strict adherence to social distancing on board.
Under the social distancing requirement, occupancy of such shuttles must be limited—vehicles may carry no more than 50% of their normal passenger capacity. This limit is mandatory for worker shuttles operating across provincial boundaries.
Similarly, certain minibus services that function as intra-city transport but need to cross provincial borders to reach their routes are also exempt from the travel restriction. However, these services are likewise required to follow the same social distancing rules and the maximum 50% occupancy limit.