Turkey eases lockdown as restaurants reopen, flights resume

Turkish Airlines resumed limited domestic flights, restaurants welcomed sit-in customers and beaches and museums reopened as Turkey’s broadest easing of coronavirus restrictions came into effect Monday. A Turkish Airlines flight, with 156 people on board, departed from Ankara airport for Istanbul as Turkey lifted a travel ban between 15 of its worst-affected provinces. The air routes between Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and Trabzon are the first start, with others scheduled to follow gradually. Istanbul’s 15th-century Grand Bazaar, museums, libraries, gyms, swimming pools, child care centers and nurseries were among other venues allowed to resume operations. Businesses will be required to ensure social distancing and strict hygiene conditions are maintained. Turkey has registered more than 4,500 COVID-19 deaths and nearly 164,000 confirmed infections.<br/>