Serbia’s Prijovic arrested for violating coronavirus curfew

BELGRADE: Serbia striker Aleksandar Prijovic was arrested on Friday for violating the Balkan nation’s coronavirus curfew, police said on Saturday. “Prijovic was arrested along with several other people and they’ve been summoned to the prosecutor’s office,” national police director Vladimir Rebic told Serbia’s state-run RTS television broadcaster.

“They violated the curfew as they were having drinks in the restaurant lobby of a Belgrade hotel after the 5 p.m. deadline and there were more than five people present in total. “The hotel is also responsible because the measures also prohibit serving food and drinks... except if home delivery is feasible.” The Serbian government has imposed a daily 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew during weekdays and a more stringent weekend ban starting at 1 p.m. on Saturdays till 5 a.m. on Mondays in order to curb the spread of the virus.

The government has also told residents to avoid picnics, leisure activities and all forms of public gatherings in a bid to limit the outbreak.

Serbia has so far registered 1,476 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 39 deaths. Prijovic, who plays his club football for Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, became the second Serbian player to breach the country’s coronavirus measures after Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic was caught dodging quarantine.

Criminal charges were pressed against Jovic on March 19 after he left his apartment in a Belgrade suburb, where he was ordered to stay in a mandatory 28-day long self-isolation after returning to the country from Spain.