Turkey on May 12 announced that tea producers will be allowed to travel to the cities their fields are located in with a special permit as partial restrictions continue in the country.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry said that tea producers will be allowed as of May 19 midnight following the lifting of a four-day partial curfew.
The ministry added that those tea producers, who were given travel permission, have made a commitment to staying only in the designated areas for 14 days and to comply with the COVID-19 measures.
The long-awaited permission came days before tea harvesting began in Turkey’s tea production provinces.
After originating in China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 187 countries and regions. Europe and the U.S. are currently the worst-hit regions.