Europe: Lockdown is being lifted

After seven weeks of lockdown in the UK, now people are seeing an easing of lockdown measures, businesses reopen and children have started going back to school. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce the next phase of the country's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany has begun opening up and control of lifting the lockdown will now be in the hands of Germany's 16 federal states. But Chancellor Angela Merkel has stressed that an ''emergency brake'' will be applied anywhere that sees a surge in new infections.

France's strict lockdown was imposed on 17 March and residents were required to provide a travel permit justifying any trips outside. From 11 May, those restrictions will be eased and after three weeks the situation will be reviewed.

Ireland has had a stricter lockdown than the UK, with residents only allowed to exercise within 2km (1.2 miles) of their homes. But a five-stage roadmap to re-open the country starts on 18 May, with restrictions eased every three weeks.

Belgium's restrictions are slowly being lifted in a country that has seen a high number of deaths in care homes. "We will have to resume our social life very gradually," said Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès as she detailed Belgium's exit road-map.

The Netherlands imposed a far less strict lockdown than its northern neighbour. Prime Minister Mark Rutte has unveiled a five-phase plan for easing lockdown restrictions that kicks in from 11 May.

Austria was one of the first countries to ease its lockdown. The health minister says the reopening of small shops in the middle of April hasn't caused a spike in cases, with new infections increasing by just 0.2%. But he said May would be the "decisive month".

Denmark, one of the first European countries to announce a lockdown, started to roll back measures in mid-April and is moving ahead with the second phase of its road map.

Spain outlined a four-stage plan on 4 May to start rolling back one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, which saw children under 14 confined to their homes for six weeks. Restrictions will be eased in two week blocks until 10 June, subject to review if cases spike.

Italy imposed a strict and lengthy lockdown, with a ban on walking or exercising more than 200m away from home. In early May, some restrictions were relaxed and people are now able to travel for longer distances, as well as visit their relatives in small numbers. Visits to other regions of the country are still banned.

Greece recorded its first Covid-19 case on 26 February and the government acted swiftly to impose a lockdown. Rules were relaxed on 28 April, when people were allowed to go outside for the first time without notifying local authorities.

In Poland, Covid-19 numbers are lower than in many Western European countries - 15,000 confirmed infections and more than 700 deaths, according to America's Johns Hopkins University. It began lifting restrictions on 20 April, when parks and forests were allowed to reopen.

In Sweden, there was no real lockdown so Sweden does not have much to remove. It never imposed measures like those seen across the rest of the continent.

Unlike other European countries, Russia's outbreak is yet to peak and at least 10,000 new infections were reported daily last week. There will be no end to the lockdown just yet.

Source: BBC

Publish : 2020-05-10 14:21:05

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