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The barbershops and beauty salons in Turkey's biggest city of Istanbul on Thursday prepared for reopening their doors next week amid the gradual easing of the restrictions to curb COVID-19 pandemic.
Most of the barbers and hairdressers in the crowded Sisli district on the European side of the city were seen cleaning their shops and making shopping lists to get ready for business after being closed for almost two months in line with the measures against the pandemic.
Kamil Demirtas, owner of a small barbershop manned by three workers, was cleaning his shop before going to the Eminonu neighborhood to buy the materials required for sterilization and disinfection.
"If things go well, it will take more than one year for us to put our financial situation back on track," Demirtas told Xinhua.
"We have no income for two months now, and our rental debt has accumulated," he complained about his financial situation.
The previous month, he had to fire one of his staff over economic difficulties.
"Now I have to remove one of our seats, according to the new rule," Demirtas said. "We don't know how things will develop and what will be the attitudes of our customers."
On Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that barbershops and shopping malls would be operational as of May 11 as long as they abide by the rules such as following cleaning rules, working with an appointment system, and serving half of the number of seats.
Both the staff workers and costumers should wear facial masks, gloves and face shields, while tools and seats will be disinfected after each use, and disposable towels will be used.
Erdogan Kurtcu, a hairdresser in the Kurtulus neighborhood of the district, said he felt lucky as he moved into a small shop with affordable rent before the pandemic erupted in Turkey.
"Today, I am removing three of the total six seats, complying with the new regulation," Kurtcu told Xinhua, emphasizing his concerns about his monthly income.
"Processes like hair coloring take about two hours, which means that I can accept a maximum of six people per day," he continued.
Kurtcu is now considering firing one of his staff. He applied to the government for an incentive, but he has not yet received a reply.
For Aydin Guven, another barber in the same district, things are not different from his colleagues.
"The number of our clients would drop. I cannot even estimate any figures," said Guven.
Meanwhile, the usually busiest Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, was regaining its previous liveliness, as it was crowded with local shoppers.
The Turkish government has decided to gradually ease COVID-19 restrictions after the downward trend in the number of new infections continued in the worst-hit country in the Middle East.
Turkey on Thursday reported 1,977 confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 133,721.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Turkey reached 3,641 after 57 more people lost their lives in the last 24 hours, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted.