Turkish Health Minister warns on first day of reopening: Being too close will bring an early separation

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca criticized consumers for flocking to shopping malls on the first day they would open after nearly two months of COVID-19 closures. While pointing to the lack of social distancing in a photograph that showed a queue outside one shopping mall Koca warned that "being too close will bring an early separation".

Duvar English

Turkey's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca criticized consumers for flocking to shopping malls on May 11, the first day that they opened after nearly two months of COVID-19 closures.

Minister Koca noted that citizens mostly failed to adhere to social distancing to the point of forming lines outside of shopping malls, and that some were even seen without masks.

"Neither masks, nor social distancing are enough alone. All precautions must be adhered to," Koca tweeted. "The risk is ongoing. Let's stay home if we can."

Minister Koca also shared a photograph of a queue outside a shopping mall, with the words "being too close will bring an early separation" written on it.

The minister had also criticized crowds on Istanbul's Istiklal Avenue a week prior.

Health Minister criticizes citizens for flocking to İstiklal Avenue amid coronavirus pandemicTurkish gov’t agencies warn against laxness toward COVID-19 measures as businesses, malls reopen
Erdoğan leads in presidential race, outperforms expectations Google excessively recommends pro-government media outlets Half of Turkish men own gun, says foundation THY dismisses pilot for opposing regulation on praying in cockpit Turkey lifts visa requirement for six countries Family left homeless after landlord increases rent by five-fold