Mask mandate fines to be canceled

ANKARA

The fines given to those who violated the face mask mandate amid the pandemic will be canceled, as per the latest additions in the omnibus bill, which the Justice and Development Party (AKP) will present to the parliament.

The penalties applied to those who did not wear masks will be removed in accordance with the 90-article omnibus bill presented by the AKP to the parliament.

The proposal will also include the cancellation of education loans’ interest and executive debts of up to 2,000 Turkish liras ($108).

Public Health Law obligated that those who did not comply with the mask mandate were fined, while this fine, which was 900 liras ($50), was decreased to 675 liras ($37) in case it was paid within two weeks.

As the pandemic situation improved, Türkiye lifted the outdoor mask mandate in March and scrapped the indoor mask mandate partially on April 26, with the rule to be followed only in hospitals and while on public transportation.

But as of May 30, the country scrapped the mandate for wearing face masks on public transport. People are required to wear them only in hospitals.

Türkiye announced the first COVID-19 case on March 13, 2020. With the rise in the number of cases, the government announced various measures, face mask mandates, partial curfews and lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus on May 4 of the same year.