Almost five months after the birth of the coronavirus novel in China, countries around the world are slowly beginning to ease restrictions and lift blockages, moving from containment and mitigation to recovery.
In Wuhan, the capital of the Chinese province of Hubei to zero for the global pandemic, daily life has resumed with caution. People who have been cleaned up in good health can now travel and work, while the city and province borders have been reopened.
But when restrictions ease, fears of a second wave remain. Five new local broadcasts were reported yesterday in Wuhan, a day after the city reported its first new case in over a month.
Parts of Spain are entering the “Phase 1” of lifting restrictions, which allows the reopening of numerous shops and restaurants with outdoor seating and service.
In these areas of the country, such as the Costa Blanca vacation spot, Benidorm, people flocked to bars and outdoor areas to celebrate the closure of the block on Monday. Other cities hit hardest like Madrid and Barcelona remain in the most severe “Phase Zero” quarantine.
France eased blockades on Monday for the first time in over 50 days. In Paris, traffic has returned to the Champs Elysees, shops have been reopened and people have walked the streets – marking a return to some aspects of normal life.
The banks of the Seine were full of people sharing drinks and meeting with friends on Monday, eager to return after weeks spent locked up.
And in Shanghai, the city’s Disneyland has finally reopened this week after being closed for months – but with new rules, like indicators on the floor to show visitors how to conduct social distancing. Hand sanitizers are everywhere and there is a limit to the number of visitors per day.
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