Life returns to normal after 48-hour curfew ends

ISTANBUL

After a 48-hour curfew in 30 large provinces and the Black Sea province of Zonguldak to stem the spread of novel coronavirus was lifted early April 13, citizens who wanted to meet their urgent needs took to the streets.

As vehicle queues were formed in front of petrol stations, people were also provided water and other basic consumption products from the kiosks inside the stations as of midnight.

On the first day of the week, Istanbul residents went to work in the morning.

While those who use public transportation wear their protective masks, metrobus drivers also wore protective equipment and overalls.

Private public buses took only half the number of passengers they would normally have taken in line with the measures, while passengers who could not get on the buses waited for the next bus.

However, it was revealed during the inspections by traffic police that some public transport drivers did not comply with the rules.

Police officers who stopped a public minibus in the Maltepe district of Istanbul checked inside the vehicle, which should have taken a maximum of six passengers within the framework of social distancing measures.

The driver who accepted a total of 27 passengers onto his vehicle was fined 3,150 Turkish Liras in accordance with the regulation.

Vehicle and pedestrian intensity continued at noon in metropolitan cities.

According to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality data, the traffic density in the city reached 9 percent.

People who came to the markets with their vehicles or by foot in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir formed meters-long queues.

Police teams were present in front of the big markets where crowds could form, demanding that people abide by the social distancing rules.

The teams reminded the necessity to comply with the social distance rule both with megaphones and by directly warning the shoppers.

However, in Zonguldak, shoppers were crammed having to wait in lines where no social distancing rules were implemented in order to buy fruits and vegetables due to large crowds of people.

The marketplaces that could not be set up over the weekend due to the curfew were up and running for shoppers in the Aegean province of İzmir.

The police teams who took precautions at the entrance of the marketplaces measured the temperatures of those arriving and gave masks to those that weren’t wearing one.

Hand sanitizers were also given to those who wanted to shop.

Sellers did not allow anyone to choose and pick from among the products, also not letting anyone near the vegetable and fruit stalls without protective gloves on.