Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has offered a small glimmer of hope to his country– and others – that life could start to return to something like normal as bars and restaurants are set to reopen by the start of June.
Yesterday evening he announced plans to ease the country’s strict restrictions that were brought in to stop the spread of coronavirus - starting on May 4.
Italy is the European country worst hit by the disease with the latest figures showing 26,644 deaths, but it has just recorded its lowest daily death toll in weeks.
Yesterday’s number was 260 deaths, with officials believing the latest drop is now low enough to justify easing some restrictions.
The new measures include giving people greater freedom to move around their own regions but not between different regions.
Retail shops not already opened in the first wave of easing measures will reopen on May 18 as well as museums and libraries
Individual athletes will be allowed to resume training, and people will be allowed to participate in sports not just around their own homes but in wider areas.
Although there has been no further announcement made on Italy’s premier football league Serie A resuming, sports teams will be able to resume group training from May 18.
Bars and restaurants will be able to reopen for takeaway service from May 4, but perhaps most surprisingly, they are expected to reopen for full dine-in service from June 1.
Nail bars and hairdressers will also be allowed to reopen from June 1.
This announcement comes as other countries like Switzerland and Spain have also started relaxing their measures.
Despite some parts of Europe starting to announce easing restrictions, Boris Johnson was cautious about the UK following suit in his first press conference back after his battle with Covid-19.
He said the UK is beginning to turn the tide, but continued: "I refuse to throw away all the sacrifice and risk a second peak," and said for the moment the lockdown will continue as he "will not throw away" the sacrifices already made to prevent the disease spreading.
