Turkey Enters Another Phase Of Lockdown
Turkey on Monday eased some public gathering restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus.
Addressing reporters following a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a curfew will be imposed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays in June.
A full lockdown will be imposed on Sundays until further notice.
Restaurants and cafes will serve in-person between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. while delivery will continue until midnight. Tea houses, astroturfs, sports halls, and amusement parks will also begin to operate as of Tuesday between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., except for Sundays.
Meanwhile, indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies will be allowed in line with virus rules.
About gradual normalization following a nearly three-week lockdown, Erdogan said the “relative decrease” in the number of cases and deaths has continued “significantly,” which indicates “the measures have achieved their purpose.”
Turkey started a gradual normalization process on May 17 after the 17-day lockdown that significantly brought infections in the country down.
Until June 1, the country enforced weeknight curfews from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., while weekends were under full lockdown.
On flexible working hours in public institutions, Erdogan said it will continue until a new regulation is issued.
The restrictions could be reset according to the virus-related case and death tolls and the vaccination process, he added.
