- Title: Serbia to ease lockdown this weekend despite health warnings
- Date: 30th April 2020
- Summary: BELGRADE, SERBIA (APRIL 29, 2020) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Serbian) DOCTOR AND MEMBER OF CRISIS GROUP, DARIJA KISIC TEPAVCEVIC, SAYING: "The second wave is not something we should be scared of. However, we should maintain our caution so that we do not forget about it, in particular during the summer time if it happens that detection of this disease is reduced to zero. We mus
- Embargoed: 14th May 2020 13:51
- Keywords: Aleksandar Vucic COVID-19 Serbian President Serbian government coronavirus pandemic lockdown quarantine restrictions relaxed
- Location: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- City: BELGRADE, SERBIA
- Country: Serbia
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA002CBOOQIH
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Facing growing public discontent, Serbia's government has decided to ease its coronavirus lockdown measures this weekend despite warnings by doctors.
The number of people unhappy with strict preventative measures introduced President Aleksandar Vucic's government, which featured a nationwide lockdown and days-long curfews is increasing, and many have joined opposition protests from their balconies.
On Thursday (April 30) the government reversed its decision to lock the entire country down during the coming May Day weekend and instead introduced a curfew from 6 p.m. on Thursday until 5 p.m. on Saturday despite calls by doctors not to relax restrictions.
The government has adopted a policy of gradual easing, under which restaurants and cafes will open from next week, public transport in Belgrade will resume on May 8 and kindergartens will open on May 11.
Hairdressers were allowed to go back to work this week, but with new safety measures in place.
The number of patients in the KBC Zvezdara hospital in Belgrade, which has been turned into a COVID-19 clinic, halved compared to a few weeks ago to 200 on Thursday (April 30) doctor Vesna Dopudja told Reuters.
Despite the drop in the number of patients, Dopudja is worried about a possible rise in cases after the measures are relaxed.
On Wednesday (April 29) Serbia reported 227 new coronavirus cases and five deaths, making a total of 8,724 cases and 173 deaths. Neighbouring Bosnia reported a rise in cases on Wednesday after the government began easing restrictions.
Mladen Ivanusa, a representative of the World Health Organization, warned that caution was necessary, saying that the current wave of infections in Serbia and the world was not over yet and the situation could potentially get worse.
Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, a doctor and member of the government's crisis group said a second wave was not something to worry about, but that the government would need to maintain a cautious approach to prevent vulnerable people becoming infected later in the year.
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