Over 21,000 people violate curfews, lockdown

ANKARA

More than 21,000 people violated weeknight curfews and weekend lockdown in Turkey from March 22 and March 29, the country’s Interior Ministry has said.

Turkey earlier this month moved to what the government dubbed the “controlled normalization” phase, softening some of the previously introduced measures designed to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control.

Under the new regulations, weekend lockdowns were lifted in the low- and medium-risk provinces. People in high-risk and very-high-risk provinces can now go out only on Saturdays on weekends.

However, weeknight curfews, which are effective from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., still remain in place for all 81 provinces of the country.

Restaurants and cafes, which had been closed for months and only provided takeaway and delivery services, are now allowed to receive customers between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but at 50 percent capacity in the low-, medium- and high-risk provinces, while such venues are still closed in the very-high-risk provinces.

Since the country moved to the controlled normalization phase, authorities have tightened inspections on businesses and eateries to make sure that the anti-virus measures are observed.

“Procedural and administration actions were taken against a total of 21,495 individuals who violated curfews and lockdown,” said the Interior Ministry in a statement on March 29, urging the public to follow the hygiene, face mask and social distancing rules.