Empty streets as Serbia curfew tightens

Serbian streets emptied as a freshly imposed weekend curfew took effect on Saturday as part of measures designed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

The government has extended the ban from 1pm (1100 GMT) Saturday until 5am (0300 GMT) on Monday.

Children's playgrounds and entrances into the Belgrade parks have been blocked with plastic tape and police deployed in the main streets to enforce curfew.

Serbia so far has reported 1,476 confirmed cases and 39 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University 1400 GMT.

Doctors have warned they are expecting a rise in the numbers of cases in the Balkan country of around 7 million people.

In a bid to counter the spread of the virus, the authorities have banned all people over 65 years old from leaving their homes.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.