Lines formed outside shopping malls in Turkey on Monday as they opened for the first time in seven weeks, albeit with strict hygiene requirements, The Associated Press reported.
Barbers, hairdressers and beauty salons also were back in business as the Turkish government gradually eases the restrictions on public activity it enacted to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
The government has laid out strict operating guidelines for reopened businesses. Shopping malls must check entering customers for fever and ensure everyone wears face masks. The number of customers allowed in at once is capped under a formula of one person per every 10 square meters (108 square feet) of floor space.
Providers of personal services such as hairdressers and barbers are required to work only by appointment, to wear both surgical masks and transparent plastic face screens, and to use disposable towels and other single-use supplies.
The Turkish government announced a “normalization plan” as the number of new virus cases declined last week but warned of tougher measures if infections go up again.
On Sunday people age 65 and over were allowed to leave their homes for a few hours for the first time in seven weeks.