1,000 clubbers defy COVID ban in Serbia
BELGRADE, Serbia (AFP)— Around 1,000 partygoers were caught at a Belgrade nightclub flouting anti-virus restrictions in Serbia, which has banned gatherings of more than five people, the interior ministry said Sunday.
Three suspected organisers were held for 48 hours, the ministry said in a statement.
A report on RTS television said the three faced a fine as well as possible jail terms of up to three years.
Flouting of the measures is fairly regular, but parties in the Balkan country of seven million rarely exceed a few dozen participants.
Serbia’s cafes and restaurants must close at 8 pm.
A health ministry official said the authorities have carried out around 275,000 checks of restaurants since the start of the pandemic, imposing fines totalling 79 million dinars (more than 670,000 euros, US$750,000).
Serbia has recorded more than 4,200 deaths from COVID-19 from around 420,000 infections.
