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Three easy rules keep Turks from second lockdown

People crowded on a beach in Izmir, Turkey. (Lina Köksal/YJI)

ISTANBUL – It has been a few months now since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced to the Turkish people that we would be back with our normal schedule and life routine. 

However, this back to life would be accompanied with few extra precautions because of the coronavirus. He called it ‘the new normal’ as many presidents did as a way of encouraging their people.

The new normal has been a normal life added with a few carefully planned set of rules. It is pretty simple.

Everybody is supposed to be wearing masks in any condition, maintain social distancing, and not cramp up at indoor places. 

Unfortunately a great number of Turkish people are having problems following these three simple steps.

People don’t wear masks, they are always socializing side by side and indoor places like malls are always crowded.

Lots of people expect the curfew to come back and trap us back in our houses only because people can’t follow these simple rules.

The saddest thing is that we can’t actually name a specific group of people responsible for what is coming because adults, children and teens all must share the blame.

Even though they are warned repeatedly, they won’t care.

They are always so sure that the friends they are socializing with have no chance at all of having the virus. All are blinded by loyalty and ridiculous faith.

Unfortunately, they don’t realize the impact they have on the future by not wearing a mask.

Lots of students are having trouble understanding lessons online and longing to go back to their school. Lots of small businesses are having a hard time keeping their business going and surviving this pandemic.

But it doesn’t matter if there are three people out of 10 wearing masks and being careful, because the rest are helping the virus travel.

If they continue like this, the new normal won’t last long and we’ll be back with our same old stuck-at-home schedule.

And then, when we should be moving forward, we’ll be going back to the beginning, locked up in houses. 

Lina Köksal is a Junior Reporter with Youth Journalism International.

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