Greece has restarted regular ferry services to its islands while restaurants and bars have reopened as the country attempts to salvage its summer tourism season from the impact of coronavirus.
Travel to the islands has mostly been off-limits since a lockdown was imposed in late March, but the country’s low infection rate has prompted the government to start the holiday season earlier than expected.
Meanwhile, children in Australia have begun returning to full-time face-to-face lessons on Monday, allowing many parents to return to offices.
Here are the day's events as they happened
Greece restarts ferry services and reopens cafes and restaurants
Greece has restarted regular ferry services to its islands while restaurants and bars have reopened as the country attempts to salvage its summer tourism season from the impact of coronavirus.
Travel to the islands has mostly been off-limits since a lockdown was imposed in late March, but the country’s low infection rate has prompted the government to start the holiday season earlier than expected.
The government started the holiday season three weeks earlier than the expected June 15 date, as other Mediterranean countries - including Italy, Spain and Turkey - grapple with deadlier outbreaks.
Greece has had nearly 2,900 infections and 171 deaths from the virus, but Italy has seen nearly 33,000 deaths, Spain 29,000 and Turkey 4,340, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Social distancing regulations and passenger limits have been imposed on ferries and at restaurants to ward off new infections.
State-run health services to combat coronavirus are being expanded to the islands, with intensive care units being placed on five islands - Lesbos, Samos, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Corfu - along with existing facilities on the island of Crete.
Australia urges people to continue working from home
Australia's most populous state has urged people to continue working from home despite schools reopening as the number of coronavirus cases slows.
Australia has reported just over 7,100 Covid-19 infections, including 102 deaths, well below figures reported by other developed countries.
With fewer than 20 new COVID-19 cases most days, Australian states are pressing ahead with a three-stage plan to remove most social restrictions imposed by July.
In New South Wales (NSW), which includes the city of Sydney, children returned to full-time face-to-face learning on Monday, allowing many parents to return to offices - although politicians urged those who could to stay home to avoid putting pressure on the transport network.
45% of Britons receiving more deliveries during lockdown
Some 45 per cent of adults in the UK have been receiving more deliveries since lockdown measures began, research has suggested.
Home and garden items have made up the majority of orders since 23 March, a Royal Mail survey found.
Products such as home decor, garden supplies and DIY equipment were among the most ordered.
Home entertainment, fashion, and health and beauty items were also popular, while more unusual items included hot tubs, casino kits, unicorn pinatas, wrestling boots, Venus flytraps and a full replica model of Flying Scotsman, the train.
One in five of those polled ordered arts and crafts items to fill their days during lockdown, while more than one in 10 ordered a paid subscription box such as food, drink or make-up.
Most UK adults agreed having their online shopping delivered was a "boost" for them or their family, with 36% describing it as the highlight of their day.
German death toll reaches 8,250
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 289 to 178,570, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed today.
The reported death toll rose by 10 to 8,257, the data showed.
India overtakes Iran to become one of 10 worst-hit nations
India has posted its biggest single-day jump in cases of COVID-19, overtaking Iran to become one of the 10 worst-hit nations, even as the government allowed domestic air travel to restart.
India reported another 6,977 cases, taking its total ot 138,845, according to government data, despite the world's longest lockdown imposed in March by its prime minister, Narendra Modi. Total deaths have passed 4,000.
The rise in new cases came as some businesses and travel reopened under a new phase of the national coronavirus lockdown.
Tourists can book holidays in Spain from July, country's tourism minister says
Tourists can book holidays in Spain from July as the two-week self-quarantine for overseas travellers is likely to be suspended by then, the tourism minister has said..
One of the worst-hit nations in the world from the coronavirus, tourism-dependent Spain is gradually easing a strict lockdown though it has kept a quarantine for visitors so as to prevent a second wave of infections.
"It is perfectly coherent to plan summer vacations to come to Spain in July," Reyes Maroto said in an interview with local radio station Onda Cero.
French crisis measures have cost €450bn
France's measures to prop up the economy through the coronavirus crisis have cost €450bn (£403bn), the equivalent of 20 per cent of GDP, the finance minister has said.
Since mid March, the government has mobilised a package of measures including state-subsidised furloughs, state-guaranteed loans, tax deferrals and handouts to small firms.
"If we take everything that has been done with the budget and in support of businesses' cashflows, it's €450bn, 20 per cent of the nation's wealth on the table," finance minister Bruno Le Maire said on BFM TV.
He added that the country's president, Emmanuel Macron, would announce "strong measures" in support of car-makers, the latest industry to get a sector specific plan to help it back on its feet.
South Korea makes masks on public transport mandatory
People in South Korea will be required to wear masks when using public transport and taxis nationwide, starting on Tuesday, as health authorities look for more ways to slow the spread of coronavirus as people increase their public activities.
The Health Ministry said masks will also be required on all domestic and international flights from Wednesday.
From June, owners of "high-risk" facilities such as bars, clubs, gyms, karaoke rooms and concert halls will be required to use smartphone QR codes to register customers so they can be tracked down more easily when infections occur.
South Korea was reporting 500 new cases per day in early March before it largely stabilised its outbreak with aggressive tracking and testing, but infections have been rising slightly again since early May, with more people going out during warmer weather and eased social distancing guidelines.
New Zealand to increase maximum gathering size to 100
New Zealand plans to further loosen restrictions by increasing the maximum size of gatherings from 10 people to 100.
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern said the change would take effect from midday on Friday, in part, to allow religious services that day and over the weekend.
New Zealand has reported just one new case of coronavirus over the past week, attributed to a strict early lockdown and ongoing vigilance.
German economy sees biggest quarterly decline since financial crisis
The German economy shrank by 2.2 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2019 amid a global downturn linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany's Federal Statistical Office said it was the biggest quarterly decline since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
Figures show that private consumption and exports were the hardest hit. Investments in the engineering sector, construction and public expenditure helped prevent an even bigger downturn.
As Germany's economic dipped 0.1% in the last quarter of 2019, the country has entered what is known as a "technical recession."
Japan will lift regional travel limits on 19 June, PM says
Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, told his ruling Liberal Democratic Party that Japan will lift limits on regional travel on 19 June, Kyodo news agency reported.
Japan is planning to lift a state of emergency for Tokyo and remaining areas still facing restrictions today.
Czech bars, restaurants and cafes reopen
Bars, restaurants and cafes are returning to full service as the government takes further steps to ease restrictions.
Establishments can serve customers in interior spaces, and hotels are also reopening together with public swimming pools, wellness centres and saunas.
Sports, cultural and other public events for up to 300 people will be allowed, up from the previous 100.
Restrictions have been only partially lifted for schools. Students up to fifth grade can attend on a voluntary basis under strict conditions starting today. There must be no more than 15 students in a class and they must stay together the whole day.
Remaining primary school pupils and all high school students will not return until the start of the new school year on 1 September.
These are the latest numbers of lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK, in this infographic from Statista.
Somerset hospital stops accepting new admissions due to 'high number of coronavirus patients'
A hospital in Somerset has temporarily stopped accepting new patients due to a "high number of patients with coronavirus in the hospital".
Weston General Hospital, in Weston-super-Mare, stopped accepting new admissions, including into its A&E department, from 8am today.
The move is said to be a "precautionary measure".
Japan ends state of emergency
Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has said the state of emergency will be lifted for all of Japan, and that the country managed to get the spread of the virus under control in under two months.
Social distancing curbs were loosened for most of the country on 14 May as new infections fell, but the government has kept Tokyo and four other prefectures under watch.
The world's third-largest economy has escaped an explosive outbreak with more than 16,600 infections and 839 deaths so far, according to NHK public broadcaster.
'What planet are they on?' Newspapers react after Johnson stands by Cummings
Newspapers of all stripes set aside their front pages on Monday morning to respond to Boris Johnson’s defence of his most senior adviser Dominic Cummings as he faced calls to resign after travelling 260 miles to visit his family during the strictest period of lockdown, Liam James reports.
The Daily Mail, which has been an enthusiastic supporter of the prime minister in the past, responded with incredulity to both Mr Cummings’s behaviour and Mr Johnson’s defence thereof, asking: “What planet are they on?”
The Independent said the prime minister gave “no answers” in his press conference on Sunday night and leads on demands from Tory MPs for an inquiry into Mr Cummings’s actions.
The Guardian said that in defending his adviser, the prime minister “bets all on Cummings” and also focused on calls from Tory MPs for an inquiry.
The Daily Mirror took a strong line against the pair, deeming Cummings a “CHEAT” and the prime minister a “COWARD”.
German government considering easing social distancing
The German federal government is recommending that states ease some social distancing regulations from 6 June, Bild newspaper reported, but continues to urge that limits be placed on size of social gatherings.
According to an official paper seen by the newspaper, Helge Braun, head of Chancellor Angela Merkel's office, recommended that private gatherings be held in the open air where possible and be limited to 20 people, while indoor meetings should be limited to 10 people.
Spain staggers easing lockdown
The country is making progress on its staggered plan out of lockdown.
Roughly half of the population, including residents in the biggest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, are entering phase one, which allows social gatherings in limited numbers, restaurant and bar service with outdoor seating and some cultural and sports activities.
The other half of the country, provinces with fewer infections or ready to face a possible second outbreak, are going one step further in loosening up restrictions. That includes no time limits on outdoor activities, meetings of up to 15 people, weddings and visits to nursing homes and beaches.
London Southbank Centre at risk of closing until April 2021
London's Southbank Centre is at risk of closing until at least April 2021 because of the financial pressure it faces as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
The UK's largest arts and culture organisation has said it is facing a best-case scenario of a £5.1m deficit for the 2020/21 financial year, despite furloughing the majority of its staff, and will need to make some employees redundant.
The centre called for further Government support, saying the forecast includes using up all its reserves, taking £4m from the Government's furlough scheme, and spending its £19.2m annual grant from Arts Council England (ACE) "to effectively mothball the buildings".
The centre said there will be hardly any artistic activity throughout 2020/21 as to present anything like a normal range of events and social distancing measurements would limit ticket venue.
