In Europe, plans for life after lockdown

Austria first to ease restrictions on shopping

ROME/ BERLIN • Austria will begin to ease its coronavirus lockdown from next week, as falling death and infection rates have encouraged countries across Europe to start planning for a return to normality.

Several countries badly affected by the pandemic are preparing to relax quarantine measures amid hopes that the crisis may have peaked.

Spain, France and Finland have set up committees of experts to decide when restrictions could be loosened, without running the risk of a flare-up.

Schools might be allowed to resume, as most children appear to be little affected by the virus, but older people, who are most at risk, could face restrictions for much longer.

However, it could still be months before normal life resumes, with governments likely to ease lockdown measures in gradual phases as they wait for a reliable vaccine.

Austria, where the growth in daily infections has dropped from around 40 per cent in mid- March to less than three per cent, became one of the first European countries Monday to propose a timetable for lifting restrictions.

“The fact we were among the first to impose restrictions now gives us the opportunity to get out of this crisis faster,” said Sebastian Kurz, the Austrian chancellor. “But only if we continue to adhere to the current measures and stand together as well as we have done so far.”

Small shops, garden centres and DIY stores will open from next Tuesday under a provisional timetable. Other shops will reopen from May 1, and restaurants and hotels from mid-may.

Schools will remain closed until at least mid-may, and a ban on public events will remain in place until June.

But Kurz warned that international travel may not be possible until a vaccine is developed.

In Spain, the daily death toll fell for a fourth consecutive day, raising hopes that it may have passed its peak.

At 637, Monday’s death toll was still high and raised the total number of people who have died from the virus to more than 13,000.

Although Spain has 135,000 confirmed cases, the infection rate has been slowing and Spain plans to start widening testing to include people without symptoms.

In Italy, the total confirmed cases rose to 132,000, but with the lowest daily increase since March 17. At more than 16,500, the death toll is the world’s highest but there’s hope Italy may have come through the worst.

Denmark is to gradually relax its lockdown after Easter.

In Germany, Angela Merkel, the chancellor, said it was too early to speak of lifting its lockdown.

France reported that 833 more people had died over the previous 24 hours, its highest daily toll, bringing the total deaths to 8,911.