Europe prepares to ease lockdown restrictions

Spain announced on Tuesday a four-phase plan to lift one of Europe's toughest lockdowns to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, aiming to return the country to normality by the end of June.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the lifting of the curbs that have halted public life since March 14, will begin on May 4, and vary from province to province.

In the initial phase, hairdressers and other businesses that operate via appointment will open, while restaurants will be able to offer takeaway services.

In the next stage, envisaged to begin on May 11 for most of Spain, bars will reopen their terraces but will be limited to a third of their capacity.

From this point, healthy people with no underlying medical conditions will be allowed to socialize together in small groups, while family members will be permitted to attend funerals.

Spain had reported 212,917 cases and 24,275 deaths by Wednesday, the health ministry said.

Across Europe, the virus infected 1,265,762 people and claimed 125,986 lives as of Wednesday, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The French National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, also on Tuesday evening green-lighted the government's plan to ease its lockdown, starting from May 11.

The plan, announced by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe earlier on Tuesday, said that the strict lockdown measures imposed since March 17 would gradually be lifted if indicators in sanitary situations in the next two weeks continue to be good enough.

To avoid a second wave of outbreak, the government also pledged enough masks for all people, and at least 700,000 tests per week from May 11.

Kindergartens and primary schools will reopen on May 11 on a voluntary basis. But they can receive no more than 10 children per group, with priority given to children of health workers.

The virus had infected 129,859 people and killed 23,660 in France by Tuesday, the health ministry said.

In Italy, the country will start with the manufacturing, construction, and wholesale sectors, which will be followed by retailers, museums, galleries, and libraries on May 18, and bars, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons on June 1.

In the United Kingdom, the total death toll in hospitals reached 21,678, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.

Tribute for health workers

The UK held a minute's silence at 11 am on Tuesday for all front-line workers who have died from the virus, as the government is ramping up its testing efforts.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has just recovered from COVID-19, announced on Wednesday his partner Carrie Symonds gave birth to a healthy baby boy at a hospital in London.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday extended the national paid day-off introduced to contain COVID-19 to May 11.

Putin said in a televised address that the situation in Russia remains very tense and the country has not passed its coronavirus peak yet.

Russia reported 5,841 new cases in the latest 24-hour period, taking total infections to 99,399 on Wednesday, according to health authorities. Its death toll stood at 972.

Ren Qi in Moscow, Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.