Dec 5, 2024 • 7 min read
Parents with their children stand in queue waiting to get inside Stengaard School north of Copenhagen, Denmark, on April 15, 2020, after the new coronavirus lockdown. - Denmark began reopening schools on April 15, 2020 for younger children after a month-long closure over the novel coronavirus, becoming the first country in Europe to do so. Nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools were reopening, according to an AFP correspondent, after they were closed on March 12, 2020 in an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Ólafur Steinar Gestsson / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT (Photo by OLAFUR STEINAR GESTSSON/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
Some countries have begun to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions as they report a drop in new confirmed COVID-19 cases, though social distancing is still being observed and public health protocols remain in place. Below is a list of places that are gradually opening up and entering the second phase of the COVID-19 response.
Austria
Austria has allowed public parks, some small shops and DIY stores to open from 13 April. If everything goes to plan and the number of new confirmed cases remains low, all stores will reopen on 2 May, while restaurants will open in mid-May. People using public transport and entering public spaces have been asked to wear masks.
China
On 8 April, the 11-week lockdown was lifted in Wuhan, the city where the COVID-19 outbreak was first reported. Highways and train stations have opened, as well as the airport. However, only citizens who can prove they are healthy can leave the city. Nationwide, some restrictions are still in place as the Chinese government reported a rise in imported cases from overseas travellers.
Czech Republic
From 8 April some non-essential businesses and shops have opened such as DIY and gardening stores, following the introduction of a 30-day nationwide quarantine on 12 March.
Denmark
Denmark was one of the first EU countries to introduce restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 and it's become one of the first to lift them by opening daycare centres and primary schools on 15 April, after they were closed on 12 March. Most shops, cafes and restaurants remain closed and gatherings of more than 10 people are banned until 10 May, according to the BBC.
Iran
Government offices reopened across Iran on 11 April with the exception of the capital Tehran. A ban on travel between cities within provinces has been lifted, while restrictions on travel between provinces is expected to be lifted on 20 April, according to state media.
Italy
A number of businesses, as well as bookshops, laundries and shops selling children's clothes have reopened on a trial basis. Local media reports that some of the hardest-hit regions, such as Lombardy, are holding back on lifting restrictions until the current lockdown ends on 4 May, and most citizens remain at home.
Spain
On Easter Monday a small percentage of the population was allowed to return to work in non-essential industries for the first time since the country went into a nationwide lockdown on 16 March. Masks were provided at public transport stations, while busses and trains are being sanitised between journeys. Most shops and services remain closed and further restrictions won't be lifted until May.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is now a global pandemic. Find out what this means for travelers.
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