Europe begins to consider easing coronavirus lockdowns. Here's what the countries have planned

European countries have announced plans to ease restrictions on social life, transport and cross-border travel put in place since mid-March to battle the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The new coronavirus has killed more than 1,50,00 people in Europe with more than three quarters of those fatalities in Italy, France, Spain and Britain.

However, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, back at work on Monday after being in intensive care with the disease, said it was too soon to relax the restrictions.

Johnson, 55, spent three nights in intensive care with COVID-19. His his stand-in Dominic Raab said, "We are at a delicate and dangerous stage and we need to make sure that the next steps are sure-footed."

Apart from Britain, other European countries have a few plans in place to accomplish the mammoth task of easing the coronavirus lockdown.

Here's a list:

SPAIN
Spain announced a four-phase plan on Tuesday to lift one of the toughest coronavirus lockdowns in Europe and return to normality by the end of June.
Following are the key points of the plan --
Preparatory Phase 0 (May 4-11)
- Hairdressers and other businesses that offer service by appointment can reopen.
- Restaurants can offer take-away services.
- Professional sports leagues will go back to training.
- Short walks and individual sporting activities allowed starting on May 2.
Phase 1 (about two weeks from May 11)
- All provinces that meet the requirements will move to phase 1 on May 11, except for three islands in the Canaries archipelago - La Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa - and the Balearic island of Formentera, where phase 1 begins on May 4 as an exception.
- Small businesses to reopen under strict safety conditions.
- Bars and restaurants can reopen their terraces with no more than 30% occupation.
- Hotels and other tourist accommodation can reopen, excluding common areas.
- Shops and other service providers must set aside preferential times for customers aged over 65 to visit.
- Places of worship will also be reopened, limiting the capacity to one third.
Phase 2 (about two weeks from late May)
- Theatres and cinemas to reopen, filling no more than a third of their capacity.
- Cultural centres such as art galleries and museums will reopen, again operating only at a third of regular capacity.
- Places of worship will increase their capacity to 50%.
- Hunting and sport fishing will be allowed.
- Some schools will reopen, though most will stay closed until September.
Phase 3 (around the end of June)
- Shops will be allowed to open at half capacity with distancing of 2 meters between clients.
- Restrictions on restaurants and bars will be further loosened.
- Opening of beaches.

ITALY
The government planned to extend the lockdown until May 3. The lockdown, closing most Italian businesses and preventing people leaving their homes for all but essential needs was due to end on April 13.

FRANCE
President Emmanuel Macron is aiming to ease some of the lockdown measures on May 11 by initially re-opening schools, although the government has yet to finalise how this might work in practice. France has also offered retailers some relief by saying it wants them to reopen on May 11, although some curbs could remain in certain areas to delay any new wave of the virus.

The scientific council advising the government on the pandemic wrote over the weekend that school children aged 11-18 should wear masks to help thwart the virus.

Politicians are also debating whether or not to proceed with a software and mobile phone application aimed at being able to trace the coronavirus, with some expressing concerns over the potential for data abuse and privacy violations.

AUSTRIA
Shopping malls, hairdressers and larger stores should reopen from May 1, though the plan could change if infections accelerate. Restaurants and hotels could reopen step by step from mid-May, although details have yet to be announced.

DENMARK
A ban on gathering of more than 10 people and closure of cafes, restaurants, gyms and hairdressers will apply at least until May 10.

(compiled from agencies)