Residents of Kabul city said that even though positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are increasing--16 as of Sunday evening--many citizens are not taking the outbreak seriously.

In Kabul's Mandawi market, the main bazaar in Kabul city, hundreds of people come daily to shop, but some people do not take the recommended measures,  like using masks and avoiding hand-shaking.

“If I use a mask, no one is willing to buy from me,” said Naim, a seller at the Mandawi market.

“People should avoid large crowds because the virus is spreading now,” said Humayun Hamat, another seller in the Mandawi.

Osama, a Kabul resident, said the coronavirus is just a rumor.

“The countries affected strongly by the coronavirus have limited religious beliefs,” said Osama.

“If people take the preventative measures recommended by the Ministry of Public Health, they can walk in the city but they should avoid gatherings,” said Shakir, another resident of Kabul city.

TOLOnews reporter Fariba Sadat says she visited many crowded places in Kabul but there was no sign of preventive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“All of them are aware and understand the law, but they don’t implement it,” said Ahmad, a resident of Kabul.

“We have seen positive cases of the coronavirus, and one of the reasons is the open border with Iran,” said Ahmad Shah, another resident of Kabul.

On the other hand, people in Pul-e-Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province, distributed masks to residents to prevent the spread of the virus.

“To prevent the spread of the coronavirus we have distributed 1,000 advertisements and some masks,” said a Baghlan resident.

“First of all, people should wash their hands with soap at least 10 times each day to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Second, they should avoid shaking hands and touching each other,” said a doctor in Baghlan province.

This comes as some countries have announced a state of emergency and shut down schools, universities and other big gathering places. Also, people are trying to stay and isolate themselves to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.