A six-hour curfew across Turkey ended on Saturday following the end of the first session of university entry exams, Anadolu Agency reported.

The limited lockdown was in effect from 9:30 am to 3 p.m. (6 a.m. to 12 p.m. GMT) on Saturday, part of efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus as 2.43 million students take university exams.

"The first session of the test has been successfully completed in all our test centers," tweeted Halis Aygun, the head of Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YÖK), adding: "My sincere thanks to all who contributed."

A second, longer lockdown is due to be imposed on Sunday between 9:30 am and 6:30 pm for the final session of the same exam.

The limited lockdown was first introduced last weekend to prevent overcrowding and make it easier for students and parents to head to test centers during the high school entrance exams for 1.6 million students.

Anadolu shared footage of mask-wearing students leaving school buildings. The students were provided with extra masks and hand sanitizers. Security personnel wore protective face shields and gloves.

Students who have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease took the test in separate classrooms, Anadolu said. Those who accompanied the students were not allowed in the schoolyards.

Last week, the government warned families to be careful after images of parents and relatives massing at test centers drew criticism on social media.

People who have already bought a ticket for intercity travel are exempt from the ban, while supermarkets and bakeries will remain open.

There have been more than 194,000 infections and 5,065 deaths in Turkey since the first coronavirus case was announced mid-March.

Turkey started easing restrictions earlier this month, reopening cafes, restaurants, shopping malls and resuming flights.