European countries set to lift coronavirus lockdowns in days with schools and shops reopening after Italy revealed plans
EUROPEAN countries are planning to follow Italy’s lead and ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the coming days.
Italy's infection rate dropped to the lowest figure since March 17 after strict and long social distancing measures.
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On Monday, 636 COVID-19 deaths were recorded, bringing the total to 16,523 – but new cases increased by 3,599 to 132,547, the lowest daily rise since March 17.
The new figure saw an increase of 100 on Sunday’s toll since of 525, after dipping below Britain’s for the first time the day before.
Before Monday, daily increases since March 17 had all been in a range of 4,050-6,557.
The number of patients in badly stretched intensive care units also fell for a second day running, while new cases saw their smallest rise in five days, increasing by 4,316.
And it comes as other countries look to start reopening schools and restaurants.
The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte promised Italians they will soon ‘’reap the fruit of these sacrifices’’ in personal liberties made to fight the coronavirus.
The current measures expire April 13, but how and when Italy will enter a next phase of ‘’co-existing’’ with Covid-19 will depend on a technical panel of experts.
The country's business lobby is also eager to restart production, which also has been significantly blocked by the lockdown.
Officials have said there will be a “phase two” where society learns to “live with the virus” by wearing masks and more tests are carried out.
The UK's coronavirus death toll dropped for the third day running to 439 on Monday.
But foreign secretary Dominic Raab said it was too early to start thinking about an exit strategy.
He said: "The key thing is to get to the point where we are confident we have reached the peak, and [that] this is now beyond the peak.
"At that point, I think it [will be] possible to have a serious discussion about all the things we need to do, step by step, to move to the next phase of managing this."
Meanwhile, Austria's chancellor Sebastian Kurz has become the first European leader to provide specific dates for the end of lockdown measures.
He said the aim was to let smaller shops re-open as soon as April 14, with larger ones and shopping malls opening on May 1 if all goes well.
'The aim is that from April 14... smaller shops up to a size of 400 square metres, as well as hardware and garden stores can open again, under strict security conditions of course,” he said.
In Spain, which after Italy has seen the highest number of deaths in Europe, Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has said that some economic restrictions could be lifted after Easter.
That would allow some people in non-essential jobs to return to work.
But shops, bars and restaurants will remain closed, and many lockdown measures are likely to last beyond their current deadline of April 26.
Denmark has been in lockdown since March 11, but wants to start lifting the measures after Easter if there is no surge in new cases.
Prime minister Mette Frederiksen said the government was hoping for a “gradual, controlled and quiet reopening”.
Germany has set out plans to lift restrictions as long as the infection rate remains below each patient is infecting less than one other person on average.
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Schools could be re-opened on a regional basis, shops back in business and restaurants could begin serving again, with a limit on the number of customers.
The plans were set out in an interior ministry document which also says that masks may become compulsory in any public building or on trains and buses.
Norway appears to be edging towards ending the country's lockdown on April 12 as the transmission rate fell to 0.7 for the first time, meaning the virus has effectively stopped circulating.
