Czech Republic eases lockdown restrictions

The Czech Republic has become the first European country to relax its coronavirus lockdown measures, with a further loosening of the rules to come.

As of Tuesday, residents were allowed to cycle, jog and hike in the countryside without face masks, provided they maintain a distance of 2 meters from one another.

Some sports facilities, including tennis courts and golf courses, are also allowed to open, so long as no more than two people play in a group.

A number of nonessential shops, which have been shut for more than three weeks, will reopen on Thursday. These include hardware and home improvement stores, cycle shops and repair services.

More stores are scheduled to reopen after Easter, including shoe shops and stationery stores.

The Czech Republic was one of the few countries to declare a state of emergency — now in place for four weeks — before its first COVID-19 death had been registered, and was the first European country to impose the wearing of protective masks in public.

Via Politico