Smoking in public places banned in eastern Turkey

MUS, Turkey

Smoking in all public places has been banned in the eastern Turkish province of Mus in a bid to contain coronavirus, local officials said on Thursday.

Smoking cigarettes and similar tobacco products is forbidden in all public places, including streets, squares and parks, according to a statement.

“Violators of the ban will be fined in accordance with General Public Hygiene Law and Turkish Penal Code,” the press release said.

Earlier, provinces including Van, Erzincan, Kastamonu, Giresun, Gumushane, Karaman, Cankiri, Kahramanmaras, and Ordu had introduced a similar partial or complete ban on smoking in public spaces.

Meanwhile, a raft of measures were reintroduced across the country earlier this week to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Hairdressers, wedding halls, swimming pools, theaters, and similar places are to close by 10 p.m.

The restrictions also apply to cafes and restaurants, but they are allowed to offer take-away even after 10 p.m.

Turkey has so far registered 384,509 virus cases, including 10,558 deaths and 330,665 recoveries.

*Writing by Ahmet Gencturk