European nations on Sunday prepared for further cautious easing of coronavirus restrictions following signs the pandemic may be slowing, with hard-hit Italy set to follow Spain in allowing people outside after weeks of confinement.
More than 246,000 people have been killed and 3.5 million infected worldwide by the virus, which has left half of humanity under some form of lockdown and pushed the global economy towards its worst downturn since the Great Depression.
With signs that the spread of the disease is coming under control, parts of Europe, Asia and the United States have begun to lift restrictions to try to inject life into economies crippled by weeks of closures and ease the pressure on populations weary of confinement.
After a two-month lockdown, Italians on Monday will be allowed to stroll in parks and visit relatives. Restaurants can open for takeaways and wholesale stores can resume business, but there was some confusion about the extent of the easing.
Romans were doing aerobics on their rooftop terraces and exercising indoors on Sunday and the squares in the city centre were mostly empty on the last day Italians were obliged to remain within 200 metres of their homes.
"On the one hand, we're super excited for the reopening, we're already organising various activities the kids will be able to do with their grandparents outdoors, workshops in the garden, that sort of thing. The kids can't wait to see them," said Rome resident Marghe Lodoli, who has three children.
"On the other hand, it's disorientating. The rules are not clear, and we're not sure if just using common sense will do.
'Past the peak'
Italian authorities have said some preventative measures are still needed in a country that has the second-highest number of virus deaths in the world after the United States.
Several industries including automobile sector and construction have already restarted work.
But Italy's 20 regions have imposed their own regulations, leading to some confusion over what people can and cannot do. Veneto and Calabria lifted their lockdowns early and allowed bars and restaurants to open with outdoor tables.
Elsewhere in Europe, Germany will continue its easing on Monday, while Slovenia, Poland and Hungary will allow public spaces and businesses to partially reopen.
In another sign of life returning, Germany's minister for the interior and sport said Sunday he supports a resumption of the country's football season this month as long as teams respect hygiene conditions.
The British government will unveil its own "roadmap" to ease the country out of lockdown this week, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country was "past the peak" of the outbreak.
With health experts warning the disease could hit hard once again, governments are trying to balance easing up restrictions to help battered economies against the risk of fresh outbreaks.
Despite moves to ease curbs across the globe, more than 4.6 billion people are still on some form of lockdown or obligation to stay confined at home.
Most governments are sticking to measures to control the spread of the virus - social distancing and masks in public - and more testing to try to track infections even as they relax curbs on movement.
Face masks will be mandatory on public transport starting Monday in Spain, where people were allowed to go outdoors to exercise and walk freely on Saturday after a 48-day lockdown.
Even as some European countries gradually lift restrictions, officials in Moscow - the epicentre of the contagion in Russia - urged residents to stay home.
With cases increasing by several thousand each day, Russia is now the European country registering the most new infections.