BELGRADE, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- More restrictive measures stepped into force in Serbia on Tuesday as the country marked dramatic increase in daily COVID-19 cases.
Over the past 24 hours, Serbia registered 5,067 confirmed cases and 38 deaths, raising the total caseload and death toll to 126,187 and 1,237 respectively, said the country's Health Ministry.
According to a regulation published on the official website of the Serbian government, in the following 10 days starting from Tuesday, restaurants, bars, night clubs, bookmakers and shopping malls will have to close between 6:00 p.m. local time and 5:00 a.m. local time, while masks are obligatory indoors.
Public transportation should work at half capacity, said the government regulation.
Outdoor and indoor gatherings of over 5 people are both prohibited, excluding educational institutions and shops where there should be at least 4 square meters per person, it said, adding employees are advised to work from home.
Furthermore, Serbian authorities have also announced stricter self-isolation controls at home.
Srdja Jankovic, a member of Serbia's crisis response team, told national television RTS that the epidemic is not fading away, but further expanding instead, and that adhering to the new measures is the only way out.
Hospitals across Serbia are almost full amid the pandemic, with 6,329 people currently being hospitalized, among which 216 are connected to respiratory ventilators. Enditem
