Europe lifts virus shutters as Japan ends emergency

madrid — Europeans flocked to parks, gyms and pools on Monday as more countries eased coronavirus restrictions, while Japan lifted its state of emergency but urged vigilance to avoid another wave of infections.

However the virus, which has now infected more than 5.4 million people worldwide and killed almost 350,000, continued its rampage across Latin America, sparking a US travel ban for people coming from Brazil.

With the global economy battered, governments are scrambling to provide relief to businesses and citizens wearying of mass confinement.

In hard-hit Spain, Madrid and Barcelona cautiously emerged from one of the world’s strictest lockdowns with parks and cafe terraces open for the first time in more than two months.

Hundreds of people made the most of the morning sunshine to enjoy a stroll or a run in Madrid’s famous Retiro Park.

“The reopening of Retiro brings me a feeling of serenity, gives me comfort,” said Rosa San Jose, a 50-year-old schoolteacher. In other parts of Spain, beaches reopened for swimming with strict guidelines for social distancing.

Elsewhere on the continent, Italians got some exercise as gyms and pools opened again, while slowing infection rates in Greece allowed cafes and restaurants to restart a week ahead of schedule — but only for outdoor service.

In Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, party people were looking forward to heading to nightclubs, set to reopen in the evening.

In Asia, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ended a nationwide state of emergency after new cases slowed to a crawl.

The move will help the world’s third-largest economy to gradually pick up speed again, but Abe urged citizens to remain cautious to prevent fresh outbreaks.

“If we lower our guard, the infection will spread very rapidly... we need to be vigilant,” he said.

He urged people to adopt a “new lifestyle” and continue to avoid the “three Cs” — closed spaces, crowded places and close contact.

Iran, one of the nations worst hit by the pandemic in the Middle East, reported its lowest daily virus death toll since March as it reopened major shrines.

While the pandemic is slowing or under control in many parts of the world, the World Health Organisation warned that South America was becoming “a new epicentre” for the disease.

Brazil has reported more than 22,600 deaths even as its farright President Jair Bolsonaro continues to play down the threat from the virus.

He flouted social distancing rules again on Sunday, attending a rally outside the presidential palace in Brasilia to greet a cheering rally, ditching his face mask, shaking hands and embracing supporters — even hoisting a young boy onto his shoulders at one point. —

I’m thrilled to break the isolation of recent months and reconnect with friends

Giorgos Karavatsanis a pensioner

The reopening of Retiro brings me a feeling of serenity, gives me comfort

Rosa San Jose a 50-year-old schoolteacher