Turkey ends two-day curfew over COVID-19

Turkey lifted a 48-hour curfew in 31 provinces across the country as of midnight Sunday which had been implemented as part of measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus

People largely obeyed the weekend curfew, which began at midnight Friday, said the Interior Ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said 18,770 people had violated the restrictions and were subjected to "administrative and procedural penalties." The specifics of the penalties were not mentioned.

The government continues to restrict the movements of those under the age of 20 and above 65. Schools, malls, cafes and restaurants also remain closed while nealry all gatherings, including congregational prayers, have been suspended.

Turkey registered 97 more deaths Sunday from the coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 1,198.
The total number of confirmed cases surged to 56,956 as 4,789 more people tested positive for the virus, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, sharing the ministry's link for daily updates on coronavirus figures.