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Turkey cautiously reopens after national Eid curfew

Mosques, restaurants and stores prepare to gradually reopen with new coronavirus precautions in Turkey after four-day nationwide curfew for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
Hairdresser Oguz Kutlu disinfects scissors as he gives hair treatment to his customer Pinar Ersin, both wearing protective masks, on the first day of the reopening of his hair salon which was closed since March 21 amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Istanbul, Turkey, May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC2BMG9VSKGF

ISTANBUL — Turkish families normally come together for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr to mark the end of Ramadan, but this year most stayed apart, observing a four-day nationwide curfew imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The curfew ended midnight Wednesday and may be the last of its kind as state officials ease restrictions in the country, which has seen new infection numbers decline in recent weeks. Now mosques, restaurants and stores are preparing to reopen in the coming days, but Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Wednesday some preventive measures will remain in place.

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