A number of European nations including the United Kingdom, Czech Republic and Greece are taking tentative steps to ease lockdown measures on Monday with national authorities allowing a number of non-essential facilities to reopen.
Starting Monday, non-essential shops, including hairdressers, beauty salons, gyms, as well as and libraries will reopen in England, while pubs and restaurants resume outdoor services, provided the clients will not order food and drinks at the bar counter and all visitors will sit at their tables. Amusement parks and zoos have also reopened.
The hospitality business will also resume operations as the authorities will allow people to travel across the country starting Monday.
In addition, up to 15 people will be able to attend weddings and up to 30 are allowed at funerals.
The next round of the gradual easing of the restrictions is scheduled for 17 May, with pubs and restaurants expected to resume indoor services.
In Northern Ireland, children will return to schools on Monday, while residents will be able to travel distances of over five kilometers (three miles). People from two different families will be able to meet on the street, but not in private gardens. The construction sector will fully resume operations.
Another country on the way to relax coronavirus-related restrictions is the Czech Republic. On Monday, the country lifts a state of emergency declared last October, the nationwide nighttime curfew, as well as the ban on movement between regions.
Czech schools will reopen on Monday for students from the first to fifth grades, who will be divided into several groups, which will switch weekly from in-person to distance learning. In addition, kindergartens will partially resume operations.
Some non-essential shops, libraries, zoos, botanical gardens will reopen, while several household services — dry-cleaning, sale and repair of auto parts, farmers markets in the open space — will resume work.
Greece will also lift some coronavirus-related restrictions on Monday, allowing high school and vocational education institutions to reopen, while primary schools and gymnasiums will remain closed until Easter.
Apart from educational institutions, bookmakers will start working in Greece on Monday.
