ISTANBUL ­— New daily coronavirus cases fell below 7,000 this week for the first time since February, prompting officials to further ease social distancing measures June 1. The news comes after a strict nationwide lockdown last month led to a significant drop in new COVID-19 infections, which fell from more than 60,000 in April, according to Health Ministry data.

Late on May 31, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the lighter measures, including a partial lifting of weekend curfews and the reopening of food venues to a limited number of customers. For the first time in months, most Turkish citizens will now be able to go outdoors on Saturdays while nightly weekday curfews have been pushed to 10 p.m., up from 9 p.m. previously.

In addition, primary schools partially reopened June 1, with middle and high school in-person classes set to partially resume June 7. Gyms and movie theaters have also been allowed to operate at 50% capacity starting June 1.

While announcing the new guidelines, Erdogan focused on the nation’s vaccination campaign, saying efforts would be accelerated to reach more citizens through new agreements with a variety of vaccine companies.