The Belgrade city authorities have decided not to shut down the open air markets in the Serbian capital, the Beoinfo portal said on Wednesday.

All the outdoor markets in the city will be open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm as of March 18, the portal said, adding that those working hours will remain in force during the state of emergency.  

The city markets company (Gradske Pijace) said that the changes in opening hours were made in line with the new measures imposed by the Serbian government to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.  

The Serbian authorities imposed a state of emergency across the country on Sunday, March 15 calling the population to stay at home to help stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. A curfew (8:00 pm to 5:00 am) was announced on Tuesday evening starting on Wednesday, March 18 with a ban on movement for anyone over the age of 65 in urban areas and over the age of 70 in rural areas.