More than 39,000 people violate curfews, lockdown

ANKARA

More than 39,000 people have violated the weeknight curfews and full weekend lockdown in Turkey between Dec. 7 and Dec. 14, the country’s Interior Ministry has said.

The government introduced the weeknight curfews from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and full weekend lockdowns starting from Friday 9 p.m. until Monday 5 a.m. to check the spread of COVID-19.

The public at large complied with the curfews and the weekend lockdowns, however, actions were taken against a total of 39,146 individuals across the country for violating the curfew and lockdown rules, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.

The measures were taken against the coronavirus, and stricter inspections are showing their effects, the ministry added, calling on the public to observe hygiene, face mask and social distancing rules.

The curfews and lockdowns are part of a raft of measures the government announced at the end of November.

Under the new restrictions, supermarkets, grocery stores and butchers can operate between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends. Restaurants, meanwhile, can only offer food delivery service between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Officials have said that restrictions were paying off, but their full impact would be seen in the coming days.

The rate of increase in the number of COVID-19 patients and the number of patients in critical condition continues to decline, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter.

But, he still warned people to stay away from indoor places and the crowds.