Nearly 38,000 people violated curfews

ANKARA

Nearly 38,000 people have violated the weeknight curfews and lockdown on weekends between Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 in Turkey, the country’s Interior Ministry has said.

In line with the existing laws and regulations, necessary actions were taken against those violators, the statement issued by the ministry added, noting that the public across the country largely complied with the curfew and lockdown rules.

The government last week announced a curfew for weekdays between at 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and imposed a full lockdown on weekends, which begins on Fridays 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. on Mondays.

The curfews and lockdowns will remain in place until further notice.

Some sectors, including production, supply, health and agriculture, are exempt from the curfews and lockdowns.

Turkey imposed a raft of new restrictions after a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country.

As part of those measures, supermarkets, grocery stores, butchers and dried fruit shops operate between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends.

Bakeries are also open during weekend curfews.

Restaurants, meanwhile, only offer delivery service between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

In addition, people aged 20 and younger as well as those 65 and older are barred from using public transportation.

Funeral prayers are now performed with a maximum of 30 people, and this rule also applies to weddings.

Places such as Turkish baths, saunas, swimming pools, and amusement parks halted activities.

The number of people who can enter crowded streets and squares are also limited by local authorities. People are required to present their individual electronic HES codes to show their infection status – available through a free smartphone app – when entering shopping centers.