Some 4.4 million Italian employees, who are unable to telecommute, find their way to the site, warehouse, factory or office, Monday, May 4. Italy is taking its first steps towards deconfinement. But be careful.

No retail shops, no bars or restaurants, no family reunion, even if it will be possible to go to see your loved ones living in the same region. No gathering, nor picnic in the park. Social distancing maintained, including in transport, which operates at reduced capacity and which requires the wearing of a mask.

The Italians, encouraged by the Sunday announcement of 174 deaths in the country in 24 hours, the lowest number since the start of confinement, will be able to breathe a little.

The authorities, which began this deconfinement to restart an economy brought to its knees by the disease, remain however worried about the risk of a second wave.

Portugal , less affected by the Covid-19 than its Spanish neighbor (with 1,043 deaths), is also starting to reopen small shops, hairdressers and other car dealers, while respecting the strict rules of distancing.

Wearing a mask or protective visors has become compulsory in shops, public services and public transport. The government's deconfinement plan is spread over the month of May.

In Spain , where the Covid-19 has killed more than 25,000 people and whose 47 million inhabitants have been locked up since mid-March, the population rediscovered the joys of sport and walking on Saturday. The country's deconfinement must continue in phases by the end of June. The country recorded Sunday 164 deaths from the new coronavirus, the lowest daily figure for almost seven weeks.

The lifting of restrictions, on the other hand, is already well underway in Germany , where schools will gradually reopen in certain Länder on Monday, in Austria , where the shopping streets of Vienna resumed their activity on Saturday with the reopening of stores, as well as in the Scandinavian countries .

Another sign of normalization, the German Minister of the Interior and Sports said he was favorable on Sunday to a resumption of the football championship. Which would make Germany the first major European championship to take this step.

In Eastern Europe, the terraces of cafes and restaurants will reopen from Monday in Slovenia and Hungary , except in the capital, Budapest. In Poland , hotels, shopping centers, libraries and some museums will also open.

In  the UK , Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised a decontainment plan next week. Here too, the number of deaths decreases (315 in 24 hours) but the official figures often mark a decrease at the weekend, due to delays in registrations, followed by an upsurge.

With AFP

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