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Due to the spring surge in the pandemic, propelled mainly by the spread of new more contagious and more deadly variants, European countries have been forced to impose new measures or delay the easing of restrictions.
While there are similar aspects to some European government’s strategies there are also big differences. Here’s an overview of the restrictions and state of play across most western European countries.
Germany – New lockdown for ‘a new pandemic’
After a marathon 13 hours of talks between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 state leaders, the country decided to reinforce its strictest shutdown since the start of the pandemic a year ago.
“Essentially, we have a new virus…it is much deadlier, much more infectious and infectious for much longer,” Merkel said.
As well as extending existing measures including keeping cultural, leisure and sporting facilities shut through to April 18th, Merkel and Germany’s 16 state premiers agreed a tougher shutdown over Easter.
During the Easter holidays between April 1st and 5th, all private gatherings are capped at two households of up to five people, plus children under 14 and supermarkets will remain closed, only opening their doors on Easter Saturday.
In general bars and restaurants will remain closed until April 18th, and schools and non-essential shops will close in areas with a 7-day incidence rate of more than 100 new infections per 100,000 people.
Originally the much-anticipated federal-state meeting was planned to discuss further loosening Germany’s lockdown measures, which have been in effect – and continually extended – since the beginning of November. In the first week of March, hair salons, flower shops and home appliance stores reopened for the first time since December, and many breathed a sigh of relief in the hopes that other relaxations would soon be on the way.
Yet over the past couple of weeks, Germany has seen a surge in new cases, largely due to virus variants. The nationwide 7-day incidence jumped to 108.1 cases per 100,000 residents on Tuesday, up from about 60 just two weeks prior.
France – Curfew and a new ‘lockdown light’
France’s national 7-day incidence rate stands 307.8, but this hides big regional variations between areas like Finistère in western Brittany where case numbers are very low – giving an incidence rate of 76.8 – and the Parisian suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis which has a worrying rate of 683 cases per 100,000 people.
Because of this France, which has run a national strategy for the majority of the past year, has decided to impose regional restrictions, putting 16 of the country’s 96 mainland départements on what is being termed “lockdown light”. Other hard-hit départements will likely follow in the coming days or weeks.
Life for the residents of these areas, which includes the whole of the greater Paris region, is a lot less restricted than it was during previous lockdowns, but non-essential shops are closed, travel to another region is forbidden and people are urged only to meet up outdoors. Schools, however, remain open.
Across the whole of France a 7pm-6am curfew remains in place and bars, cafés, theatres, restaurants, cinemas and tourist sites are closed. Face masks are still obligatory in public places indoors and outside in most of the main towns, cities and frequented areas.
The government hopes that the regionalised “lockdown light” will be enough to relieve the pressure on hospitals in the worst hit areas while the much-maligned French vaccine rollout belatedly gathers speed.
Sweden – ‘The key is for people to follow the rules’
Some of the measures introduced since December include reducing the maximum number of people allowed at public events to eight; ordering all restaurants, cafes and bars to close no later than 8.30pm; and introducing caps on customer numbers at shops, gyms and sports facilities to a maximum of one per ten square metres of usable space. All of these are regulated by law, and businesses or event organisers found violating them can face fines.
Restaurants, bars, and non-essential businesses are still open however, and the number of people you may meet privately is not regulated beyond recommendations to limit socialising to “a smaller circle”. Domestic travel may still go ahead if carried out in “an infection-safe way” authorities have said, meaning keeping a distance from others on the journey and at the destination and planning how to get home if you fall ill.
Masks were for a long time not recommended for use by the public in Sweden but currently they are recommended on public transport during rush hour. Several regions have gone further and urged residents to wear them at all times on public transport as well as in other indoor environments where crowding could occur, but reports show uptake has been low.
Sweden’s prime minister has issued stern warnings to the population, saying “more people need to do more” but authorities have so far chosen not to introduce further measures, saying the key thing is for people to follow those currently in place.
Italy – Country divided into orange and red zones
The whole of Italy has been under tightened restrictions since Monday, with roughly half the country a medium-risk “orange zone” and the rest a high-risk “red zone”.
It’s the second time in two weeks that Italy has toughened the rules, after Prime Minister Mario Draghi sounded the alarm over a “new wave” of coronavirus infections two weeks ago.
Italy’s national seven-day incidence rate to March 18th was 264 new cases per 100,000 people. Any of the country’s regions with a local incidence rate of more than 250 cases per 100,000 residents automatically go into lockdown.
The new rules means travel is heavily restricted: in orange zones, people aren’t allowed to leave their own towns without an urgent reason, while in red zones you’re supposed to stay in your own home except for essentials.
All bars and restaurants are closed except for takeaway or delivery, as are museums, galleries, cinemas, theatres and other cultural sites.
Schools are mostly open in orange zones, but are running fully remote learning in red zones.
The government says the restrictions will last until at least Easter, when the whole of Italy will enter lockdown over the holiday weekend. Beyond that, we’ll have to wait and see what the numbers say.
Norway – Oslo forced to tighten restrictions
Covid-19 infections are increasing in Norway with the 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 standing at 175.
In these areas bars, restaurants, non-essential shops and gyms were forced to close and all events excluding funerals were cancelled.
National restrictions are also expected to tighten on Tuesday night.
Foreign travellers will need a negative test 72 hours within arriving in Norway. They will also have to enter a quarantine hotel unless you are a Norwegian resident on essential travel.
Face masks are not mandatory nationally, the decision is made locally. The isolation period is 10 days if you have coronavirus, symptoms or had close contact with somebody with Covid-19.
There can be no more than 10 people gathered at private events inside or 20 people outside. Venues such as restaurants are limited to 100 inside 200 outside. Social distancing of one metre applies.
Bars and restaurants are open unless tighter local measures aren’t in place.
Norway also has a number of recommendations that are not regulated by law.
Working from home, avoiding non-essential domestic travel and having a maximum of five guests at home are the most important.
Austria – Lockdown extended until after Easter
Austria on Monday decided to extend its coronavirus lockdown until after Easter, scrapping a plan to loosen certain measures from March 27th.
The seven-day incidence rate is 240.4 per 100,000 people.
The number is now highest in the states of Vienna (321.9) and Salzburg (300.3). The value is lowest in Vorarlberg (66.7), Carinthia (187.1) and Styria (187.3).
Currently, strict measures apply to all of the country other than the western state of Vorarlberg, including a nighttime stay-at-home order, along with the closure of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities.
EXPLAINED: What are Austria’s current coronavirus lockdown rules?
In Austria, hairdressers and cosmetic services may open, however people are required to show a negative Covid test which is less than 48 hours old.
Schools are open for face-to-face classes in Austria, however they can be closed in regions or municipalities experiencing a surge in infections or mutations of the virus.
In the state of Vorarlberg things are more relaxed – pubs and restaurants are allowed to open indoors and outdoors, while events with up to 100 people have been allowed take place since March 15th.
The nationwide measures are set to apply until after Easter, upon which a regional approach will be adopted.
Switzerland – Lockdown measures extended instead of eased
The government did however decide to relax one measure on Friday, the limit on the amount of people who can meet indoors has been raised to ten, up from the previous limit of five.
Switzerland currently has a seven-day average incidence rate of 115.8 per 100,000 residents, with the number of new cases per week increasing gradually since mid-February.
Elsewhere the Netherlands is also still in the middle of an extended lockdown which has forced the closure of bars, restaurants, non-essential stores and gyms. The measures were set to be extended on Tuesday. Belgium was also recently forced to pause its plan to ease restrictions due to a new rise in cases.
But restrictions are not tightening in all countries across Europe. In some measures are being eased, albeit with great care.
Denmark – Plan announced to ease restrictions
Unlike a lot of other countries in Europe, Denmark is in a phase of easing restrictions and has just announced a plan to lift many of the rules currently in place over the next two months.
The country’s current incidence rate according to the ECDC is 161.07 cases per 100,000 residents. The number of people hospitalised with the virus is under 200 nationally and has been stable for several weeks, as have daily infection numbers. Just under 11 percent of the population has received a first vaccine dose.
Schools are currently partially open, the first part of society to see closures reversed following a lockdown implemented in December. Shops have also reopened this month, with the exception of large stores, which operate on an appointment basis, and malls and department stores.
Cinemas, theatres, bars and restaurants remain closed and the public assembly limit is current 10 people outdoors or 30 for organised sports activities.
The reopening plan, announced on Monday night, sets out the gradual lifting of most restrictions at two-weekly intervals, providing infections stay under control and vaccines are delivered as expected. The use of vaccine passports forms part of that plan.
The government says it plans for the majority of restrictions to be lifted once all people over 50 have been vaccinated against the virus. The current vaccination programme will see this point reached by the end of May.
Spain – Restrictions easing and tourists ‘welcome’ to return
In Spain, where Covid restrictions are mainly decided on a regional basis, there has been a general easing of the rules across the country in recent weeks as a result of falling infection rates overall.
Lighter measures include allowing travel between municipalities/provinces and better opening hours and capacity limits for shops, bars and restaurants.
However, people in Spain will have to spend Easter at home or close by as all regional borders will remain closed for the holiday period in a bid to prevent a spike in cases as occurred after the Christmas period.
On the other hand, international tourists (mostly from the EU) will be allowed to visit Spain over Holy Week as long as they provide a negative Covid test and fill in a health form beforehand. They will also have to follow the restrictions in place in the part of Spain where they stay.
This arrangement is a matter of much debate in Spain currently, with some critics arguing Spaniards are being granted fewer rights than foreign visitors, and that opening up to mass tourism now could result in the fourth wave and consequently a tightening of restrictions that could be disastrous for Spain’s all-important summer season.
Spain’s 14-day infection rate currently stands at 128 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
Elsewhere in Europe…
Elsewhere in Europe, England is currently at the beginning of a four-step plan to ease lockdown.
Schools are open and if all goes to plan pubs will open their outdoor areas next month. The plan could see all legal limits on social contact lifted by June 21st, if strict conditions are met. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own plans to ease restrictions.
After a strict post-Christmas lockdown enforced to ease pressure on overrun hospitals, Portugal has also now begun easing restrictions. By the beginning of May it plans to open all bars and restaurants even for indoor dining.
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