Indoor dining allowed as the number of Covid-19 cases drop
TURKEY has eased coronavirus restrictions to allow indoor dining and end weekend lockdowns, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said.
Mr Erdoğan ordered the end of indoor dining at restaurants and cafes in mid-April as the country suffered record levels of Covid19 infections and deaths.
Cafes and restaurants began to serve indoors between 7am and 9pm, and takeaway services were made available until midnight on Tuesday. The nation of 84 million saw its daily virus infection numbers soar past 60,000 in April.
Daily case numbers have since fallen below 10,000 — with more than 6,500 recorded on Monday — after the country went into its first full lockdown between April 29 and May 17. Prior to that, Mr Erdoğan had opted to order weekend lockdowns instead of the longer confinement measures chosen by European countries.
“Since mid-May, there have been weekend lockdowns. Now citizens will still have to remain at home on Sundays”, Mr Erdoğan said.
There has also been a curfew between 9pm and 5am on weekdays, but this will now start an hour later at 10pm, the president added.
Gyms were also reopened on Tuesday, with wedding celebrations allowed to take place in indoor and outdoor venues.
Mr Erdoğan said that there would be a “gradual return to normal”, adding the measures announced would be for June and officials would reassess the situation for next month.
Universities will start the new academic year on September 13, he also said.
Primary school pupils returned to classrooms two days a week on Tuesday, and middle and high school students will also return on Monday, the Education Ministry said.