New travel, accommodation restrictions target isolation breakers in Turkey
A man enters the HES code section of the app before entering a public building in Istanbul, Turkey, Sept. 23, 2020. (AA Photo)


Turkish authorities on Wednesday introduced new restrictions that expanded the use of code to track down COVID-19 patients. People will now be required to show their HES code while traveling on inner-city mass transit or while staying at hotels and other accommodation facilities across the country under the new set of restrictions.

HES code, an abbreviation for Hayat Eve Sığar (Life Fits Into Home) app developed by Health Ministry, is a unique code that can be downloaded via an eponymous app. It certifies the health of the user, whether the person is suffering from coronavirus or not. The code is already mandatory for inter-city travel.

The code will be integrated into electronic passes used in mass transit, from the metro to the buses. The electronics passes of COVID-19 patients will remain suspended during the stay-at-home isolation period. The move aims to discourage quarantine breakers, who have been a common sight in some cities.

Hotels will also be barred from accepting customers who are unable to show their HES code. Hotels and other accommodation facilities accepting such customers will be shut down for 10 days.