Bars, beaches and cafes packed as Europe eases coronavirus lockdowns after record-low deaths - The Sun

BARS and beaches were packed across Europe yesterday as the Continent looks to get back to normal after lockdown.

Italy and Spain are further easing coronavirus restrictions today after both countries recorded their lowest daily death tolls for two months.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

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A packed beach in Alimos, Greece, yesterday as lockdown measures were eased across EuropeCredit: AP:Associated Press

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A beachside cafe on the first day it was allowed to open this morning at Malvarrosa, ValenciaCredit: EPA

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Waiters are wearing face masks and spacing tables to ensure social distancingCredit: Reuters

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Cafe owners measure the distance between tables in MalagaCredit: Rex Features

Italy recorded 145 new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, the lowest since the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 9.

And in Spain it was 87, the first time in two months it has been below 100.

Both countries had more than 900 deaths a day at the height of the outbreak.

The UK's 170 deaths was also its lowest daily toll since March, but lockdown measures here are not being lifted yet.

In Italy today, more businesses including shops, bars and hairdressers will be opening their doors for the first time in two months, and churches will be holding services.

SHOPPING BONANZA

The government had wanted them to stay shut until the end of May but backed down under pressure from regional governors who threatened to begin reopening anyway.

Sardinia, Veneto and Calabria have said they will push for maximum easing of measures as soon as possible.

However, travel between regions and into Italy is still banned until at least June 3.

Spain is set for a shopping bonanza as the annual sales are due to go ahead despite social distancing fears.

Even in Madrid and Barcelona - which have not yet fully entered Phase 1 of exiting lockdown - smaller shops will be allowed to welcome customers without an appointment.

And outside the two big cities, people will be allowed to gather outdoors in groups of ten.

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Crowds of shoppers in Rome yesterday as bars and beaches are set to reopen for the first time in over two monthsCredit: EPA

25

Shopkeepers preparing to reopen today in Turin, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

Outdoor tables at a cafe in Brescia, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

People enjoy the sunshine in Trocadero Square in ParisCredit: AP:Associated Press

25

Crowds enjoy the sunny weather yesterday in Malaga, SpainCredit: Rex Features

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Residents out on the streets last night in AthensCredit: AFP or licensors

In Malaga, cafe owners were seen measuring the distance between tables as they prepared to welcome customers back today.

And the islands of Formentera and Cabrera in the Balearics, and La Graciosa, El Hierro and La Gomera in the Canary Islands, will be allowed to skip ahead to Phase 2 which allows the reopening of shopping centres and gatherings of up to 15 people.

But PM Pedro Sanchez said he will ask Parliament to extend the state of emergency until late June.

The tourist industry is set to lose its critical summer season with foreign visitors still not allowed.

Mr Sanchez said: "Spain needs tourism. But tourism needs security. It needs health guarantees."

Meanwhile Belgium is to begin reopening primary and secondary schools today under strict conditions to keep children and teachers apart.

Portugal, Greece, Denmark and Ireland are also easing their lockdown measures by degrees.

It comes after people across Europe headed to parks and the coast at the weekend to enjoy their new freedoms as the worst-hit continent begins to emerge from the tough restrictions.

Beaches were packed in Greece, and surfers flocked to newly reopened Lacanau in France which had been shut for two months.

Parks around Paris and Annecy were also heaving with sunbathers, while outdoor cafes were busy with customers in Germany.

Over the weekend parasols and sun-loungers started to appear on coastlines in Italy ahead of the expected reopening.

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Despite the falling death figures, Dr Hans Kluge of the World Health Organisation warned countries should be planning for a second wave of infection.

He said: "This is not a time for celebration, it's a time for preparation."

Authorities in many countries have asked people to show restraint and not to throng public spaces like beaches as they are made accessible again.

25

People exercising in the sunshine yesterday in Annecy, FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

25

Sunbathers in Vincennes wood near ParisCredit: AFP or licensors

25

Face masks are an essential accessory with a bikini in Nice, FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

25

A restaurant owner disinfects ahead of reopening today in Brescia, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

A pavement cafe with tables spaced out in Mainz, GermanyCredit: AFP - DPA

25

A shopkeeper cleans the windows ready for reopening in Turin, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

The busy beach yesterday in Alimos, GreeceCredit: AP:Associated Press

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Workers sprayed disinfectant between the sunbeds on the sandCredit: AP:Associated Press

25

Sunseekers flocked to the coast as authorities eased lockdown measuresCredit: Getty Images - Getty

25

Surfers and horse riders headed to newly reopened Lacanau, FranceCredit: Rex Features

25

Beaches in Lacanau saw crowds for the first time after they were closed for two monthsCredit: Rex Features

25

Shops are preparing to welcome shoppers again in Turin, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

Social distancing in effect as a school reopened today in Bordeaux, FranceCredit: EPA

25

Schools also reopened today in BelgiumCredit: Reuters

25

Children spaced out in a classroom in AustriaCredit: EPA

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2020-05-18 13:04:49Z
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Coronavirus: Italy reopens restaurants, cafes and hairdressers after 10-week lockdown - Sky News

Shops, bars, cafes and restaurants have reopened in Italy, after more than two months of nationwide lockdown measures.

Customers can again sip their morning cappuccino at their favourite bar after restrictions were eased on Monday, providing they stick to COVID-19 social distancing rules.

"I haven't worked for two-and-a-half months. It's a beautiful, exciting day," said Valentino Casanova, a barman working in Rome's central Piazza del Popolo.

Image: A woman enjoys a drink at a restaurant near the Pantheon, Rome

Unlimited travel between regions is also now allowed, so friends can once again meet up and have lunch or dinner, so long as venues serve tables two metres apart.

Hairdressers are also welcoming back customers, desperate to maintain their unkempt locks.

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Stefania Ziggiotto, a hairdresser in the Alpine resort of Courmayeur, said: "I already have 150 appointments, all very urgent, all of them insisting that they must be first on the list."

"I have a full agenda for three weeks," she added.

More from Covid-19

Image: Hairdressers have reopened in Italy

Museums, beaches and church services have also resumed, including a public mass at the Vatican.

Guards wearing hazmat suits took the temperature of worshippers entering St Peter's Basilica, where Pope Francis celebrated an early morning mass in a side chapel to commemorate the centenary of the birth of St John Paul II.

Gyms and swimming pools can also reopen next week - and travel in and out of Italy will be permitted from 3 June.

Image: Restaurants are among the businesses in Italy reopening again on Monday

The Italian government began lifting some of its lockdown measures on 4 May, when it allowed factories and parks to reopen after the number of coronavirus cases and deaths began to fall.

Italy has the third-highest number of COVID-19 fatalities in the world, behind the US and the UK, with almost 32,000 people losing their lives.

But on Sunday, the country recorded 145 deaths - the lowest over a 24-hour period since 9 March.

Image: Pope Francis leads a private Mass in a side chapel of St. Peter's Basilica

Church sprayed with disinfectant in Verona

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has admitted he is taking a "risk" by allowing more of the economy to reopen, but insisted the country could "not afford" to wait until a vaccine was developed.

Health experts say the world could be months, if not years, away from having a vaccine available to everyone despite the global efforts to create one.

Mr Conte said Italy is "confronting this risk, and we need to accept it, otherwise we would never be able to relaunch".

"We would find ourselves with our social and productive fabric heavily damaged," he added.

Lockdown measures are also being eased in other European countries.

Small shops are opening in Spain, which reported 87 deaths on Sunday - the lowest daily number since 16 March.

But tighter restrictions remain in Madrid and Barcelona, which have been the hardest-hit areas.

Image: Churches in Italy and Greece have reopened, including this one in Trenton, Italy

Image: A church in Trento, Italy offer its congregation hand sanitizer

Churches throughout Greece opened their doors to worshippers again on Sunday, but limited the number of people allowed inside and offered disinfectants to its congregation.

Greeks also flocked to the seaside after more than 500 beaches allowed visitors again, and the historic Acropolis in the capital Athens and other ancient Greek sites have also reopened.

Authorities are keen to kick-start the vital tourism sector, following a warning by the EU Commission that Greece is likely to suffer the worst recession in the bloc this year.

High schools and shopping malls in the country are also getting back to some normality, and mainland travel restrictions in Greece are being lifted.

Image: The Acropolis in Athens and other ancient Greek sites reopened on Monday

Poland has been steadily easing restrictions in recent weeks in an effort to boost its economy, with hairdressers and restaurants also expected to open again on Monday, but with new safety measures in place.

On Saturday, police in Warsaw used tear gas against protesters demanding the government act faster to allow businesses to reopen.

Hundreds gathered in the capital's Old Town carrying signs saying "work and bread" and "it will be normal again".

The government has said that some restrictions need to remain in place for some time still, to ensure public safety and prevent the virus spread from accelerating.

Poland has confirmed 18,529 cases of coronavirus and 925 deaths, according to official international figures being tracked by Johns Hopkins University.

Image: Hundreds of protesters gathered in Warsaw on Saturday

:: Listen to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Belgium also relaxed more measures on Monday, with more students going to school, markets, zoos and museums reopening and barbers resuming work.

Some shops have also reopened in Ireland as part of the government's plan to start lifting the country's lockdown, although restrictions are still more severe than the likes of Italy and Spain.

Garden centres, motor and bike repair shops, opticians, hardware shops and farmers' markets are among the businesses reopening, but libraries and other non-essential shops will remain closed until at least 8 June.

Image: Some people wear face masks as they walk past shops in Dublin

Despite efforts to return to some normality across Europe, Germany's foreign minister has cautioned that this year's summer holidays will be like no other.

"Even if a summer vacation will be possible elsewhere in Europe, which I hope, one has to say that this vacation this year won't be like the ones we know from the past," said Heiko Maas.

We must at least have safety precautions for the worst case that the figures get worse again," he added.

The coronavirus has infected more than 4.7 million people worldwide and killed more than 315,000 people.

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2020-05-18 12:24:43Z
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China faces coronavirus backlash at World Health Assembly - Daily Mail

China faces coronavirus backlash: UK joins international demands for inquiry into handling of disease at World Health Organisation conference

• The World Health Organisation holdings assembly amid the coronavirus crisis 
• EU resolution backed by the UK urges an independent inquiry into handling
• The resolution stops short of mentioning China but will increase the pressure 
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor For Mailonline

Published: 11:09 BST, 18 May 2020 | Updated: 11:44 BST, 18 May 2020

China is facing mounting pressure over coronavirus as the UK joins international demands for an independent inquiry into the handling of the disease. 

Calls are set to be made for a full probe as the World Health Organisation holds its virtual assembly today and tomorrow. 

The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Donald Trump having accused it of a 'China centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding. 

Meanwhile, the UK is among the backers of an EU resolution urging an 'impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation' of the international response to COVID-19.

Although the text does not refer explicitly to China it is seen as an opening shot in a looming battle over the origins of the disease. 

Beijing has been accused of causing deaths by covering up the early stages of the outbreak, and hiding its death toll. 

The WHO is braced for heavy criticism from the US, with Donald Trump having accused it of a 'China centric' approach to the pandemic and frozen funding. Pictured Tedros Adhanom and President Xi of China, who is addressing the assembly, shake hands in January

The World Health Organisation (logo pictured) is holding its annual assembly virtually today and tomorrow

At least 116 countries have signed the resolution - well over the two-thirds threshold needed for it to be put forward tomorrow.   

The text calls on WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to initiate 'field missions' to identify the source of the virus and how it crossed the species barrier to reach humans. 

The WHO and most experts believe the virus emerged in a market selling wildlife in Wuhan late last year. 

A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'There will need to be a review into the pandemic, not least so that we can ensure we are better prepared for future global pandemics. The resolution at the World Health Assembly is an important step towards this.' 

President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later 

China's foreign ministry said it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus that has killed more than 300,000 people globally.

Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over. 

The UK is among the backers of an EU resolution urging an 'impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation' of the international response to COVID-19. Boris Johnson is pictured in Downing Street last week

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2020-05-18 11:50:36Z
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Bars, beaches and cafes packed as Europe eases coronavirus lockdowns after record-low deaths - The Sun

BARS and beaches were packed across Europe yesterday as the Continent looks to get back to normal after lockdown.

Italy and Spain are further easing coronavirus restrictions today after both countries recorded their lowest daily death tolls for two months.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

25

A packed beach in Alimos, Greece, yesterday as lockdown measures were eased across EuropeCredit: AP:Associated Press

25

A beachside cafe on the first day it was allowed to open this morning at Malvarrosa, ValenciaCredit: EPA

25

Waiters are wearing face masks and spacing tables to ensure social distancingCredit: Reuters

25

Cafe owners measure the distance between tables in MalagaCredit: Rex Features

Italy recorded 145 new Covid-19 deaths yesterday, the lowest since the nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 9.

And in Spain it was 87, the first time in two months it has been below 100.

Both countries had more than 900 deaths a day at the height of the outbreak.

The UK's 170 deaths was also its lowest daily toll since March, but lockdown measures here are not being lifted yet.

In Italy today, more businesses including shops, bars and hairdressers will be opening their doors for the first time in two months, and churches will be holding services.

The government had wanted them to stay shut until the end of May but backed down under pressure from regional governors who threatened to begin reopening anyway.

Sardinia, Veneto and Calabria - have said they will push for maximum easing of measures as soon as possible.

However travel between regions and into Italy is stall banned until at least June 3.

Spain is set for a shopping bonanza as the annual sales are set to go ahead despite social distancing fears.

Even in Madrid and Barcelona - which have not yet fully entered the Phase 1 of exiting lockdown - smaller shops will be allowed to welcome customers without an appointment.

And outside the two big cities, people will be allowed to gather outdoors in groups of ten.

25

Crowds of shoppers in Rome yesterday as bars and beaches are set to reopen for the first time in over two monthsCredit: EPA

25

Shopkeepers preparing to reopen today in Turin, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

Outdoors tables at a cafe in Brescia, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

People enjoy the sunshine in Trocadero Square in ParisCredit: AP:Associated Press

25

Crowds enjoy the sunny weather yesterday in Malaga, SpainCredit: Rex Features

25

Residents out on the streets last night in AthensCredit: AFP or licensors

In Malaga, cafe owners were seen measuring the distance between tables as they prepared to welcome customers back today.

And the islands of Formentera and Cabrera in the Balearics, and La Graciosa, El Hierro and La Gomera in the Canary Islands, will be allowed to skip ahead to Phase 2 which allows the reopening of shopping centres and gatherings of up to 15 people.

But PM Pedro Sanchez said he will ask Parliament to extend the state of emergency until late June.

The tourist industry is set to lose its critical summer season with foreign visitors still not allowed.

Mr Sanchez said: "Spain needs tourism. But tourism needs security. It needs health guarantees."

Meanwhile Belgium is to begin reopening primary and secondary schools today under strict conditions to keep children and teachers apart.

Portugal, Greece, Denmark and Ireland are also easing their lockdown measures by degrees.

It comes after people across Europe headed to parks and the coast at the weekend to enjoy their new freedoms as the worst-hit continent emerges from the tough restrictions.

Beaches were packed in Greece, and surfers flocked to newly reopened Lacanau in France which had been shut for two months.

Parks around Paris and Annecy were also heaving with sunbathers, while outdoor cafes were busy with customers in Germany.

Over the weekend parasols and sun-loungers started to appear on coastlines in Italy ahead of expected reopening.

Breaking

LEGEND DEAD

Scarface and Jurassic Park actor Geno Silva dies aged 72 after dementia battle

SECOND SPIKE

Europe must brace for second more deadly virus wave this winter, WHO boss says

SLAUGHTERED WHILE SLEEPING

Chilling story of the carer who slit throats of 19 ill patients

STAYING ALIVE

The corpses that came 'back to life' waving and screaming from the grave

GRIM TALE

Pregnant schoolgirl who said boy, 10, is the dad now says 'a fat man' raped her

Despite the falling death figures, Dr Hans Kluge of the World Health Organisation warned countries should be planning for a second wave of infection.

He said: "This is not a time for celebration, it's a time for preparation."

Authorities in many countries have asked people to show restraint and not to throng public spaces like beaches as they are made accessible again.

25

People exercising in the sunshine yesterday in Annecy, FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

25

Sunbathers in Vincennes wood near ParisCredit: AFP or licensors

25

Face masks are an essential accessory with a bikini in Nice, FranceCredit: AFP or licensors

25

A restaurant owner disinfects ahead of reopening today in Brescia, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

A pavement cafe with tables spaced out in Mainz, GermanyCredit: AFP - DPA

25

A shopkeeper cleans the windows ready for reopening in Turin, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

The busy beach yesterday in Alimos, GreeceCredit: AP:Associated Press

25

Workers sprayed disinfectant between the sunbeds on the sandCredit: AP:Associated Press

25

Sunseekers flocked to the coast as authorities eased lockdown measuresCredit: Getty Images - Getty

25

Surfers and horse riders headed to newly reopened Lacanau, FranceCredit: Rex Features

25

Beaches in Lacanau saw crowds for the first time after they were closed for two monthsCredit: Rex Features

25

Shops are preparing to welcome shoppers again in Turin, ItalyCredit: EPA

25

Social distancing in effect as a school reopened today in Bordeaux, FranceCredit: EPA

25

Schools also reopened today in BelgiumCredit: Reuters

25

Children spaced out in a classroom in AustriaCredit: EPA

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2020-05-18 11:45:54Z
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