Virus-ravaged Europe nudges some doors open, not others
29 April, 2020
Europeans are starting to venture outside after weeks of confinement, scarred by a virus which has overwhelmed a few of the world's best health care systems and killed a lot more than 120,000 in the continent, yet yearning to rediscover signs of normalcy.
Leaving lockdown looks different in Berlin than it can in Madrid, however, as each government sets its rules and pace for letting Europe’s half of a billion people taste freedom again. Below are a few of the measures being rolled out:
FRANCE
France outlined an idea Tuesday to open up some shops, farmers' markets, schools and small museums starting May 11 - but only when the country will keep infections under control.
Restaurants, parks, major museums and other businesses that underpin the all-important tourism economy will remain shuttered until at least June 2. French persons will be permitted to venture farther from your home starting May 11, but only up to 100 kilometers (60 miles) away.
To ward off another wave of infections, France will conduct at least 700,000 virus tests a week, and everyone taking public transport, taxis or shared car services will be asked to wear a mask. The French government can be focusing on a virus tracing app, which has raised privacy concerns.
Authorities say more than 23,000 persons have died with the virus in French hospitals and assisted living facilities.
SPAIN
Spain’s 7-week-old lockdown is probably the world's strictest, and its own government announced Tuesday a cautious, four-phase approach toward a “new normal.”
Children under 14, who were kept inside for weeks, are actually permitted to go outside for an hour a day. Everyone should be able to leave their homes to play sports, do exercise or have a stroll starting Saturday.
If they've taken necessary precautions, street stores can open May 11, but not malls. Tourist accommodation may also reopen, aside from common areas.
In Phase Two, restaurants, museums and monuments makes it possible for visitors up to third of normal capacity.
Educational establishments will reopen for children under age six whose parents are both at the job, for children who've fallen behind in their studies, and for students to sit university entrance exams. Schools will not fully reopen before September.
The rollback will occur at different speeds in the country’s provinces. Each will be measured according to “markers,” like the number of infections, the monetary status of folks in the region and the neighborhood health service’s capacity, before advancing to another phase.
A total of 23,822 deaths in Spain are related to the new coronavirus, with an increase of than 210,000 persons infected.
ITALY
Italy, hit earliest and hardest of any country in Europe, has already begun a gradual reopening, with some strategic industries such as car exporters allowed to resume production this week.
Starting May 4, Italians will be able move around a bit more freely of their regions, including in parks - which were closed for weeks to defend against a virus which has killed a lot more than 27,000.
Funerals will be allowed, but Catholic churches will still be barred from holding Mass.
ON, MAY 18, retail shops and museums can reopen, and soccer clubs and other teams can restart training. Bars and restaurants, beauty salons and barber shops can reopen starting in June. Schools remain closed until September.
GERMANY
Germany, which includes lost 6,000 persons to the virus but has were able to contain it much better than other world powers, started out its first steps to ease restrictions on April 20, allowing smaller shops to reopen while sticking with strict social-distancing measures and bans on large gatherings of individuals.
Everyone using public transport or shopping must wear a mask. Shops of up to 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) have already been permitted to reopen, along with various other businesses like car dealers and bicycle shops.
German schools have already been closed since mid-March and the government hopes to manage to reopen them step by step from May 4, with the oldest students returning first. Hairdressers are also permitted to open then.
GREECE
Greece's prime minister outlined an idea Tuesday for lifting a lockdown that is credited with keeping the coronavirus death toll and number of critically ill patients low.
Outdoor individual sports will be permitted again starting May 4, and bookshops, hair salons and electronic stores will reopen. Restaurants, hotels and malls won't open until June 1.
Playgrounds and public beaches will stay closed, and travel beyond people’s home region off limits for the present time. Working hours will be staggered to reduce interaction, and masks will be compulsory on public transport, hair salons and in hospitals, and strongly recommended elsewhere.
High school seniors will restart classes on May 11, followed seven days later by the rest of high school and junior high grades. Primary schools and kindergartens will stay closed, and might open on June 1. Children considered at risk will continue their studies at home.
BRITAIN
Pubs, Rolls Royce factories, souvenir shops and schools are among the many facilities still closed in Britain, which is approximately a week or two behind other countries in Europe with regard to the coronavirus pandemic.
With more than 21,000 coronavirus deaths recorded in U.K. hospitals, the federal government has been careful not to openly consider how exactly to ease the most onerous lockdown measures, currently because of last at least until May 7.
Within an early sign of change, however, the National Health Service is needs to restore services put on pause to manage the pandemic, starting with cancer care and mental health services.
Source: japantoday.com
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