This archive report was first published on 18 May 2020.
As the number of daily recorded deaths in Europe continues to drop, several countries are set to relax their coronavirus lockdown restrictions from Monday. Italy, which has been under lockdown for over two months, will allow most businesses, including bars and hairdressers, to reopen, provided social distancing is enforced.
Spain, on the other hand, will relax its restrictions outside of Madrid and Barcelona, allowing groups of up to 10 people to meet. The country has seen a significant drop in its daily death toll, with fewer than 100 reported deaths for the first time since its lockdown began.
However, officials are warning that complacency over the virus could lead to a second wave of infections. In Italy, health officials have cautioned against large social gatherings, while in Spain, the head of the emergency health centre, Fernando Simon, has warned that the risk of a second wave of cases is still very big.
Elsewhere in Europe, Belgium will begin reopening primary and secondary schools under strict conditions on Monday, while Portugal, Greece, Denmark, and Ireland are also set to relax their lockdown measures.
Globally, more than 4.6 million coronavirus cases have been reported, with over 312,000 deaths. Brazil has overtaken Spain and Italy to become the country with the fourth-largest number of confirmed infections, while the chairman of the US Federal Reserve has warned that the American economy may not recover from the pandemic until late 2021.
