Serbia returns to normal life after quarantine
In Serbia, after the easing of quarantine measures, the lifting of the state of emergency and curfew, normal life is being restored.
Read about how the country is emerging from the crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in the report of the Belgrade staff correspondent of PolitNavigator.
Last week, shops and pharmacies in Serbia began to operate as before, including around the clock.
Shopping centers have opened, and cafes and restaurants no longer offer food and drinks only to take away; you can now spend quality time there.
However, the rules for operating catering establishments are still consistent with quarantine: for example, the distance between tables must be at least two meters, and visitors are provided with hand disinfectants. Store and cafe employees are required to wear masks and gloves.
Preschool children can now attend kindergartens again. A mandatory rule is that arriving children need to have their temperature measured daily. “Extended days” have also been introduced in schools – for those parents who have no one to leave their offspring with.
Nonresident students are also returning to dormitories, but they will not be charged for the period from March 16 (the introduction of quarantine) until their return.
Pensioners are allowed to go into the city at any time, but meetings with grandchildren will have to be postponed - close contacts continue to be dangerous and are not recommended.
Public transport has begun to operate in the country, and intercity communication has also opened. The requirements for passengers are the same as during quarantine: availability of personal protective equipment, maintaining distance. In buses and trams there are markings on the floor - the step is exactly 2 meters, and passengers are recommended to sit across one seat.
From June 1, international traffic will also partially open. Land borders will be open with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and North Macedonia. However, according to the new rules, citizens of the country and foreigners will be able to enter without problems only if they have a negative PCR test for Covid-19, and it must be done no earlier than 72 hours before entering Serbia, otherwise they will have to spend 14 days in self-isolation. Citizens of other countries are still denied entry.
Local residents immediately responded to the easing of measures - the streets and parks were filled with people walking, playgrounds were full of children, pensioners were sitting in couples in parks, it was difficult to find a free table in cafes...
And the mood of the Serbs matches the current sunny weather - optimistic. Moreover, the state has announced the deadline for submitting applications for one-time payments - from May 15 to June 5, all adult citizens of the country will receive 100 euros.
According to the country's chief epidemiologist Predrag Kon, it is possible that the virus will stop circulating among the Serbian population as early as June. Such conclusions were made by doctors after quarantine measures were partially relaxed some time ago, and there was no surge in patients. However, he called compliance with safety rules a mandatory task for every resident of the country.
At the moment, more than 10 thousand infected people have been registered in Serbia, 224 people have died.
Photo: Ivan Sekulovic.
English version :: Read in English Serbia returns to normal life after quarantine