Curfew violations continue at same speed

ISTANBUL

The number of people violating weeknight curfews and weekend lockdowns is not changing even though the COVID-19 situation has not shown a significant improvement.

More than 31,000 people broke the weeknight curfew and a full weekend lockdown between Feb. 15 and Feb. 22, the country’s Interior Ministry reported on Feb. 22.

This figure is consistent with the previous weeks’ violation statistics. On average some 30,000 people have violated the restrictions in most of the weeks since the curfews and lockdowns were introduced in December 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Weeknight curfews last from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. while lockdowns are in effect from 9 p.m. on Fridays to 5 a.m. on Mondays.

“Most of the public adhered to the curfews and the lockdown during the said period. However, procedural or administrative actions were taken against a total of 31,197 violators,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by polling company Ipsos showed that more people are now venturing outside for non-essential activities compared with mid-December 2020.

Some 38 percent of the respondents to the survey, which was carried out between Feb. 12 and Feb. 16, said they left home to go outside over the week versus 29 percent in mid-December 2020 when Turkey saw a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

In the previous survey conducted between Dec. 30, 2020 and Jan. 5, 31 percent of the surveyed said they ventured outside for non-essential activities. Back in early August 2020, the corresponding figure was as high as 51 percent.