In the circular, it was reminded that from the moment the new type of coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak was seen, many measures were decided and implemented in order to manage the risk posed by the outbreak/transmission in terms of public health and public order, to ensure social isolation, to protect the distance and to keep the spread rate under control in line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the Coronavirus Scientific Committee and the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
It was reminded that as a result of the measures taken, in line with the positive developments recorded in the direction of decreasing the spread and transmission rate of the virus and decreasing the rate of increase in cases, with the transition to a controlled normalization process, at the Cabinet Meeting on June 9 under the chairmanship of President Erdoğan, in line with the recommendations of the Coronavirus Scientific Board, it was decided that wedding halls could start to serve in accordance with the determined rules as of July 1, 2020.
In this context, the provisions of the legislation allowing the activities of the venues to be used for wedding ceremonies and additional measures taken regarding occupational health and safety were listed.
Accordingly, weddings will be held outdoors whenever possible to reduce the risk of contamination and the duration will be kept short.
A distance plan for general areas of use and seating arrangements will be prepared by the operators/responsible persons of the venues where weddings will be held. The guest capacity of the wedding venue will be determined according to the distance plan. The number of guests will be accepted in accordance with this capacity and the capacity information will be posted in a visible place at the entrance of the wedding venue. Within the framework of the prepared plan, place markings will be made at the entrances of the venue and at every point where a queue may occur to help ensure distance.
Information posters on cleaning, mask and distance rules and other rules to be followed will be hung at the entrances of the wedding venues and in appropriate places inside.
Guests will be measured for fever at the entrances. People with a fever higher than 38 degrees will be directed to the nearest health institution. Fever measuring personnel and the responsible person will use medical masks and face protectors.
Hand sanitizers or disinfectants will be available at the entrances and common areas of wedding venues (main hall, building entrance, canteen and cafeteria, sinks). In order to minimize contact as much as possible, these will be photocell operated if possible and guests will be allowed to enter after cleaning their hands with disinfectant/hand sanitizer.
A sufficient number of colognes or hand sanitizers containing at least 70 percent alcohol will be available at each table.
Masks will be distributed to unmasked guests upon entry
Wedding venues will be entered by wearing a mask, and sufficient masks will be kept at the entrances by the business owners. Masks will be distributed to unmasked guests at the entrance. It will also be ensured that masks are worn during the wedding process (including the bride, groom, officiant and witnesses).
For areas such as the bride and groom’s waiting rooms, rooms with natural ventilation (with windows) will be preferred if possible.
In the event that food is served during or after the wedding, the provisions of the circular sent to the governorships on May 30 and the Ministry of Health’s “Measures to be Taken in Restaurants, Restaurants, Cafes, Patisseries, Pastry Shops, Dumpling Shops, Dessert Shops and Establishments Providing Food and Beverage Services within the scope of Covid-19” will be followed.
No handshakes at welcome, farewell and jewelry ceremonies
The seating arrangement for guests will be arranged so that there is at least 1.5 meters between tables and 60 centimeters between chairs. The distance and seating arrangement rules will not apply to guests from the same nuclear family living in the same house.
During the welcoming, farewell and jewelry ceremony at weddings, there will be no handshaking or embracing and hugging, and the distance will be kept.
The jewelry ceremony will be held by placing the gifts in a collection box such as a chest to be kept in a suitable place in the wedding venue.
Collective photo shoots will not take place. During the photo shoot and cake cutting, distance rules will be followed except for the bride and groom. However, guests will be able to take individual photos with the bride and groom, provided that they use masks and comply with the distance rule.
Except for the bride and groom, there will be no games, dances, halay or performances
Within the scope of the circular, no games, dances, halay or performances that may cause contact between people or violate the distance rule, except for the bride and groom, will be held in wedding venues. Only music, including live music, can be broadcast for guests to listen to.
Masjids in wedding venues can be opened for use in accordance with the provisions of the circular dated May 22.
In canteens/cafeterias in wedding venues, measures regarding cleanliness, use of masks and keeping distance will be complied with, and disposable cups, plates, etc. will be used in these places. During the provision of these services, the “Measures to be taken in Buffets, Canteens and Dealers within the Scope of Covid-19” published by the Ministry of Health will be complied with.
Waste bins will be placed in general use areas, it will be stated that these bins will only be used for materials such as masks and gloves, and these wastes will not be combined with other wastes when they are disposed of.
Buses or minibuses that will transport guests to wedding venues will comply with the “Measures to be Taken Regarding Personnel Service Vehicles within the Scope of Covid-19” published by the Ministry of Health.
If parking service is provided, the vehicle will be delivered to the guest after every point of contact (door handle, steering wheel, gear, etc.) is cleaned.
The use of elevators will be restricted, one third of their capacity will be allowed, and this number will be indicated at the elevator entrance. In order to maintain the distance inside the elevator, the areas where people need to stand will be designated with floor markings with a distance of at least one meter between them.
Leave at least one hour between two weddings indoors
For weddings to be held indoors, at least 1 hour will be left between the two weddings for healthy ventilation of the venue. During this time, natural air circulation will be provided by opening doors/windows or centralized systems according to the conditions.
Children’s playgrounds in indoor venues where weddings will be held will not be used.
In weddings held in places such as open / countryside / garden, cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces in children’s playgrounds will be ensured. Hand antiseptics will be available in accessible areas. Since Covid-19 will increase the risk of transmission, activities that require contact closer than one meter will not be carried out.
In village and street weddings, the provisions of this circular will be notified to the wedding owners while notifying them that the wedding will be held. At the same time, a letter of undertaking will be obtained from the wedding owners that the provisions of the circular will be complied with.
Disposable materials (forks, spoons, plates, etc.) will be preferred in case of catering.
If there are events such as cocktails during or after the wedding, tables such as cocktails will be arranged so that the distance between the tables is at least 1.5 meters.
A sufficient number of cologne or hand antiseptics containing at least 70 percent alcohol will be available at each table.
In case of an open buffet, a glass visor will be provided to prevent the food in the buffet from being taken by the guests and preventing the guests from coming into contact with the food. The requested food will be given to the guests by a staff member within the precautions.
The use of tea and coffee machines, dispensers, beverage machines and similar devices in common use will be allowed by the staff.
Cleaning, disinfection and ventilation of wedding venues
Wedding venues will be cleaned daily and regularly ventilated. In the cleaning of wedding venues, maximum attention will be paid to the cleaning of frequently touched surfaces. Cleaning staff will wear medical masks and gloves.
The entrance door of the public toilets will be arranged as an automatic door system if possible, and if it cannot be arranged, the entrance doors will be kept open by placing a suitable screen. In addition, liquid soap, toilet paper, paper towels and trash cans will be kept in the toilets at all times, and in order to reduce contact as much as possible, faucets and liquid soap units will be photocell if possible. The use of hand dryers will not be allowed.
The ventilation of areas with central ventilation systems will be arranged to ensure natural air circulation, natural ventilation will be provided by leaving doors and windows open, and the rules specified in the Air Conditioning Guide of the Ministry of Health regarding the use of ventilation systems will be followed.
Measures for personnel in charge at venues
Personnel will be informed about the transmission routes and protection measures of Covid-19.
Hand disinfection or antiseptic will be available at the entrance of the personnel. Body temperature measurements will be made with thermal sensors or non-contact thermometers at the entrance and exit of the personnel, and these data will be recorded daily and stored for a minimum of 14 days. In addition, information will be obtained from the personnel in this context so that the people with whom the personnel live can also be monitored for coronavirus (Covid-19).
Employees with symptoms of fever, cough, runny nose, respiratory distress will be directed to a health institution to be evaluated for Covid-19 by wearing a medical mask.
Sufficient protective equipment will be available for personnel working in wedding venues. All personnel will use personal protective equipment such as medical/cloth masks, face shields and transparent visors required by the working area during work (the mask will be changed as it becomes damp or dirty, and care will be taken to ensure hand hygiene during the application of the new mask).
Daily cleaning and hygiene of staff clothes will be ensured. Personnel will be constantly warned to pay attention to hand hygiene (in order to ensure hand hygiene, hands will be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and alcohol-based hand antiseptic will be used in the absence of soap and water).
The capacity of these areas will be determined by organizing the toilet, resting, common dining and social areas of the personnel working in the wedding venues according to the distance conditions (if necessary, floor markings, lanes, barriers, etc. arrangements will be made in this regard) and the use of these areas by the personnel will be allowed in accordance with the determined capacity. These areas will be regularly cleaned and disinfected in accordance with the rules. In addition, alcohol-based hand antiseptic / disinfectant will be kept in these areas.
In case the staff sees Covid-19 symptoms in themselves or the people they live with, they will immediately report this situation to the business manager.
The management of the wedding venue will have the staff tested for Covid-19 periodically and in case of any suspicious situation (high fever, coughing, shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell, weakness, etc.). The results will be recorded and kept, and the personnel who test positive or who are under follow-up due to being in contact with someone with a positive test result, who have tested positive and recovered but have not passed the 14-day follow-up period since the last negative test result, and who have been tested because they or the person they live with are in a suspicious situation, will definitely not be allowed to work until the test result is received.
These rules will be followed in events such as engagement, bride’s reception, henna and circumcision
It will be ensured that the above-mentioned rules and principles will be followed in events such as engagement, bridal showers, henna, circumcision weddings, etc.
In this context, governorships and district governorships will follow all regulations made/to be made by the Coronavirus Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Health, relevant Ministries and authorized public institutions and organizations in order to ensure that wedding venues continue their activities in accordance with the above-mentioned rules. The implementation will be reviewed and updated when necessary and necessary decisions will be taken in accordance with Articles 27 and 72 of the Public Hygiene Law.
Those who do not comply with the measures will be subject to administrative fines in accordance with Article 282 of the Public Hygiene Law. According to the situation of non-compliance, action will be taken in accordance with the relevant articles of the Law, and necessary judicial proceedings will be initiated within the scope of Article 195 of the Turkish Penal Code regarding criminal behavior.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/turkiye/icisleri-bakanligindan-valiliklere-dugun-genelgesi/1888270
