France is latest to unveil lockdown exit

More than half of humanity is under some sort of lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly pandemic, which has tipped economies toward a bruising global downturn.

Over three million people are now infected worldwide and more than 211,000 have been killed since the virus first emerged in China late last year.

France said on Tuesday that shops, markets and some schools could reopen next month, the latest country to ease coronavirus restrictions as nations tread a fine line between allowing stalled economies to recover while staving off a new contagion.

In France, Prime Minister Edouard Phillipe said would begin to be eased from May 11 -- some shops and markets could resume business, and primary schools and daycare centres would reopen gradually.

Face masks will be required on public transport, he said, and work-from-home orders will stay in place for several more weeks.

Meanwhile, Russia will consider a gradual end to quarantine measures from May 12 and Greece will start easing its lockdown from May 4 having "contained the first wave of the virus", Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

And from next week, Italians will be able to exercise outdoors and visit relatives -- but only if they wear masks and refrain from hugs and handshakes.

Along with France and Spain, Italy is among the worst affected in Europe, with the three nations each reporting over 23,000 deaths.

But in Germany, which allowed some shops to reopen last week, experts warned against a rush to lift lockdown measures after new data showed a slight uptick in infection rates.

Source:

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-pandemic/coronavirus-treading-fine-line-france-is-latest-to-unveil-lockdown-exit

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