Turkey began to ease some of its COVID-19 measures on May 11. Businesses such as shopping malls, small shops and hairdressers are now allowed to open, provided they abide by the rules and regulations the government has set. This will bring some relief to the Turkish economy and business owners as the coronavirus has hit many industries. Restaurants, hotels and theaters – all businesses with public spaces – have been suffering. Many factories have been closed for weeks.

But there is one industry in particular that has been flourishing – disinfecting services.

For individuals and businesses alike, hygiene and disinfection has become a priority. Moreover, for most companies, disinfection is becoming a necessity, and for many it is soon to become an obligation. Public spaces are being disinfected by the government – already a major increase for the disinfection industry. But now, privately owned companies are disinfecting their offices, their factories and even their products. As shopping malls are opening, store owners will need to disinfect their spaces for safety of employees and customers.

Uzman is a disinfection company that's been around since 1997. It has been providing services to a number of industries, especially health, food, logistics and production. 

Uzman's general manager, Recep Cingitas, said that they gained a lot of experience from the past and are now "putting the lessons learned during SARS, the swine flu and the bird flu to use in the fight against COVID-19."

Cingitas said there's been a huge demand for their services, especially from "large global corporations that employ over 100 people. Many of them had never used disinfection services but are now among our new clientele."

There are also newcomers to the industry – realizing the opportunity in the market, many business owners are adding disinfecting to their services. For example, car washers have started to offer disinfection for cars. One such car washer owner, Suleyman Yazici, says since COVID-19, their business has also enjoyed the increase in customers looking to disinfect their cars.

The government plans to gradually continue easing restrictions, first domestic flights are expected to resume, then international flights. In mid-June, universities will open and eventually schools will resume classes as well. Undoubtedly, all of these locations will require one common service – disinfection.

And the next major step in Turkey's plan to ease measures is focused on tourism. Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced that hotels will only be allowed to open if they follow the new regulations the government will declare to receive a COVID-19 certificate. Not surprisingly, hotels will be required to disinfect their premises on a regular basis. All these developments mean new business, new clients for companies providing disinfecting services.

(Video cover: An Uzman employee provides disinfecting services outdoors. /CGTN)