Country Lockdown Updates
Update as of 1 July 2020
UK
Lockdown Start Date: 23/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 04/07/2020
From Wednesday 13 May, people in England are permitted to take part in unlimited exercise, restart open-air sporting activities and meet one person from another household while abiding by social-distancing rules and staying outside. Primary schools will reopen on 1 June, while pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, hotels, cinemas and places of worship will open from 4 July at the earliest, as long as they can meet social distancing measures. Some non-essential retailers will be able to open in phases from 1 June if they can follow social distancing guidelines.
Bulgaria
Lockdown Start Date: 13/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 14/06/2020
Starting 4 May, Bulgarian officials lifted the ban on movement outside of one’s residential community. Outdoor bars and restaurants were opened following inspections by regional health inspectorates and the food safety agency. The lockdown still remains in place and will be reviewed at the end of May, but the ‘epidemic emergency’ situation has been extended until 14 June. Bulgaria agreed with neighbouring Greece and Serbia to ease some travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus from June 1.
Lithuania
Lockdown Start Date: 16/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 31/05/2020
Although the lockdown in Lithuania will remain in place until 31 May, the easing of restrictions has already begun, including restrictions on departures from the country, as well as leisure activities and the activities of private healthcare providers. Residents were no longer required to cover their faces outside, as the Baltic eurozone member reopened after weeks of coronavirus lockdown. Lithuania has already reopened open-air restaurants and cafes, along with shops and libraries, as infections slow. Baltic trio Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia will open their borders to each other from May 15.
Estonia
Lockdown Start Date: 13/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 01/06/2020
Borders with Latvia and Lithuania reopened on 15 May. Most shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes are now open for business, and some fitness centres are also set to reopen.
Latvia
Lockdown Start Date: 13/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 09/06/2020
A state of emergency has been declared in Latvia initially from March 13 to May 12. Latvia stopped nearly all foreigners entering the country since March 17, but a ‘travel bubble’ has been reopened between its neighbouring Baltic states (Lithuania and Estonia). Travellers are expected to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Russia
Lockdown Start Date: 30/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: Early June
President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia’s nationwide lockdown was being eased from 12 May and that businesses could go back to work to stop unemployment rising further. He also said it was up to individual regions to decide the best policy. But Russia’s daily infection rate remains high, compared with the rest of Europe. Construction and industry were the first sectors to resume work, under President Putin’s plan. But large public events are still be banned. Moscow, as the worst-hit city, kept tough restrictions until 1 June, when regular walks were allowed and parks and non-essential businesses reopened. Then the capital lifted restrictions on travel and businesses on 9 June, with plans for museums and libraries to reopen on 16 June. It is compulsory to wear gloves and masks in shops and on public transport in Moscow. Schools are shut and many people are working from home.
Sweden
No Lockdown
Sweden has taken a softer approach than most countries, based on recommendations from Sweden’s Public Health Agency. Public gatherings of more than 50 people are banned, high schools and universities have moved teaching online. Primary schools and preschools are still open. The government advises against travel within the country but has not forbidden it. An advisory against non-essential travel to other countries has been extended until June 15. Elderly people above the age of 70 are urged to limit social contact and avoid public transport, shops or public areas. Visits to retirement homes are forbidden. Gyms, swimming pools and sports halls are open, and sports training and matches have not been cancelled.
Finland
Lockdown Start Date: 18/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 01/06/2020
The government decided to lift roadblocks in the region around Helsinki – the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Finland – starting April 15. In early May the government announced a plan to gradually lift lockdown measures, but restaurants, bars and cultural institutions such as theatres would only be allowed to open their doors on June 1, under social distancing rules and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people.
Denmark
Lockdown Start Date: 11/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 08/06/2020
Denmark, one of the first European countries to announce a lockdown, started to ease restrictions in mid-April, with a four-phase plan. Daycare centres and primary schools returned on 14 April, with children attending in shifts. Children aged 12-16 returned from 18 May. Hairdressers, beauty and massage salons and some other well-being services reopened on 20 April. Professional sport is allowed behind closed doors; football’s Super Liga returned on 28 May. Shopping centres reopened on 11 May with social distancing. Social gatherings were first limited to 10 people – then on 8 June, that was boosted to 50 under Phase 3. Gyms and swimming pools are also reopening under Phase 3, with social distancing. Cafes and restaurants reopened on 18 May, with social distancing, followed by cinemas, theatres, museums and art galleries on 21 May. Borders reopened for tourists from Norway, Iceland and Germany on 15 June.
Germany
Lockdown Start Date: 22/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 29/06/2020
Foreign minister Heiko Maas announced a travel ban for EU member states and specified European countries including the UK would be lifted on 15 June, provided large-scale lockdowns were not still underway in those nations.
Bundesliga football matches resumed behind closed doors on 16 May – the first big European league to do so.
Shops of all sizes were allowed to reopen, with extra hygiene and social distancing.
Shops smaller than 800 sqm have been allowed to open since 20 April, alongside car dealerships, bicycle shops and bookshops.
Schools have been partially reopened for young children and those taking exams – and the 16 states are moving towards reopening Pre-school centres and schools at their own pace border controls were eased on 15 May with Austria, France and Switzerland, and will be lifted on 15 June across Europe, but not beyond until the end of August.
Two different households are now allowed to meet up with each other.
Poland
Lockdown Start Date: 12/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 12/06/2020
In Poland, Covid-19 numbers are lower than in many Western European countries. Most of the recent infections have been amongst the country’s coal miners in the southern Silesia region. Poland began lifting restrictions on 20 April, when parks and forests were allowed to reopen. Hotels, shops, shopping centres, museums and galleries reopened on 4 May, with one customer per 15 sqm of space allowed. Face coverings in public will remain obligatory until a vaccine is available.
France
Lockdown Start Date: 17/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 10/07/2020
Shops and hair salons can now reopen, while people can venture out without a government-mandated form. The state of emergency will remain in place until 10 July. The largest and most celebrated museums, including the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, aren’t due to reopen until the summer. Schools would reopen from 22 June – except for high schools.
Travellers from the UK will be able to visit EU countries without quarantine or restrictions on arrival.
Belgium
Lockdown Start Date: 18/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 01/07/2020
Restrictions are slowly being lifted in a country that has seen a high number of deaths in care homes. The country unilaterally reopened its borders to all EU and Schengen zone countries on 15 June, as well as to the UK. From 10 May, a household could receive visits from a group of up to four people and that ‘personal bubble’ was extended to 10 different people who could meet outside from 8 June. Fabric shops reopened on 4 May, as new regulations require all Belgians aged 12 or over to wear masks on public transport. Other shops reopened on 11 May, with strict social distancing. Schools resumed classes from 18 May, but no more than 10 children are allowed in each classroom. Markets, museums and zoos also reopened from 18 May, with rules for 1.5m social distancing. Hairdressers and beauty salons reopened on 18 May. Cafes, restaurants and sports clubs reopened from 8 June and cinemas, casinos and concerts restart from 1 July.
Netherlands
Lockdown Start Date: 23/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 20/05/2020
Prime Minister Mark Rutte unveiled a five-phase plan for easing lockdown restrictions, which kicked in from 11 May. Libraries are open again and hairdressers, nail bars, beauticians, masseuses and occupational therapists went back to work from 11 May. Bars and restaurants reopened on 1 June for up to 30 guests inside and unlimited numbers outside, provided people maintain 1.5m distance. Cinemas, theatres and concert halls also reopened, subject to a 30-guest maximum, and face masks became mandatory on public transport the same day for anyone aged 13 and over. Secondary school pupils returned to class on 2 June, with social distancing. Campsites and holiday parks can reopen from 1 July, and from that date theatres, cinemas and restaurants can allow in up to 100 customers with social distancing. Larger events and contact sports may resume in September, along with sex clubs and saunas.
Spain
Lockdown Start Date: 14/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 21/06/2020
On 1 June Spain moved to a second phase for 70% of Spaniards, but Madrid, Barcelona and some other regions were remaining under tighter phase-one restrictions. The state of emergency is to end on 21 June, restoring freedom of movement.
Bilbao’s Guggenheim museum became Spain’s first large museum to reopen its doors, though in all cases 50% capacity is the maximum allowed.
Face masks are compulsory for anyone aged six and over in public, both inside and outside if it isn’t possible to maintain social distance.
Schools were partially reopened from 26 May. This will allow for revision classes and state exams but a full reopening is not expected until September.
From 11 May customers were able to order a beer in a terrace bar, but bars and restaurants will not Fully reopen until 10 June, adhering to strict social distancing guidelines and only at 50% capacity.
cinemas, theatres and exhibitions began reopening on 26 May, but only at 30% capacity.
Portugal
Lockdown Start Date: 18/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 01/06/2020
Portugal has had fewer coronavirus cases and deaths than some other south European nations. The government announced a three-phase plan, reopening different sectors of the economy every 15 days. Small neighbourhood shops, hairdressers, car dealerships and bookshops started opening from 4 May. Bigger shops, restaurants, museums and coffee shops reopened from 18 May, but at reduced capacity. Infants and some secondary school students also went back on 18 May, while primary schools and pre-schools began reopening at the start of June. Shopping centres, cinemas and theatres were allowed to reopen at the start of June and beaches reopened on 6 June.
Romania
Lockdown Start Date: 25/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 14/05/2020
On May 15, Romania entered a ‘state of alert’ and abolished its state of emergency, and restrictions were eased. All parks and public gardens in the Romanian capital Bucharest, as well as the zoo, are working once again. On 20 May, the National Museum of Art of Romania, the Museum of Art Collections, the K.H. Zambaccian Museum, and Theodor Pallady Museum in Bucharest reopened to the public. Officially, the lockdown ended on 14 May, however, a number of restrictions, including on international travel, are still in place.
Serbia
Lockdown Start Date: 15/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: Mid June
On Wednesday, 6 May, the Assembly of the Republic of Serbia lifted the state of emergency, introduced on 15 March, as well as the lockdown, but numerous emergency measures that were adopted due to the coronavirus epidemic remain in force today. Wearing gloves and masks is mandatory in public transport, restaurants and cafes, offices and other business premises. On June 1, borders with Greece and Bulgaria will reopen, but Air Serbia resumed flights on May 21, with planes taking off from Belgrade airport bound for Zurich.
Montenegro
Lockdown Start Date: 30/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 1/07/2020
Montenegro began easing restrictions on 21 April by shortening curfews. However, the closure of borders, ports and marinas, a ban on public gatherings and a shutdown of schools are still in place. It became the first European country to declare itself free of COVID-19 cases on 24 May. Thus far, foreigners are prohibited from entering, except foreigners with permanent or temporary residence in Montenegro and foreigners who operate motor vehicles used for traffic of goods. The holiday season is expected to begin as of 1 July, and the government is already branding itself as a ‘Corona-Free’ destination.
Moldova
Lockdown Start Date: 17/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 30/06/2020
A state of health emergency has been declared in Moldova until 30 June. Until then, foreign nationals and stateless persons are still prohibited from entering Moldovan territory.
Macedonia
Lockdown Start Date: 19/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 01/06/2020
As of 19th March, the Republic of North Macedonia is in a state of emergency, which was extended for two weeks on 18 May. The government eased restrictive measures by allowing the opening of big shopping malls, betting shops and other activities. Bars and restaurants are expected to be opened by 22 May. It remains unclear when international travel will be permitted.
Greece
Lockdown Start Date: 23/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 01/06/2020
On 28 April, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a relaxation of lockdown measures in the weeks ahead. Churches opened for individual prayer on 4 May and religious services were allowed from 17 May. Schools reopened on 11 May for final-year students only, with special measures including students attending classes on different days; on 1 June classes resumed for primary schools and kindergartens, with 15 maximum per class. Shops are now all able to reopen. Cafes and restaurants reopened on 25 May, but with social distancing. Beaches reopened on 4 May and Greece has declared that the tourist season will start on 15 June, with the opening of seasonal hotels on the same day. Travel to the islands resumed on 25 May for mainland Greeks, but not for foreign tourists; from 1 July Greece is set to lift the two-week quarantine rule for foreigners.
Cyprus
N/A
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Lockdown Start Date: 17/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: Mid June
The Bosniak-Croat Federation lifted mandatory quarantine and curfew restrictions as of the End of April, but policies differed for Republika Srbska. Wholesale trade businesses and retail shops, as well as hairdressing and cosmetic salons, reopened from May 1. Cafés reopened on May 13. The state of emergency was lifted on 21 May, but some lockdown measures remain in place.
Croatia
Lockdown Start Date: 22/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 11/05/2020
As of 11 May, Croatia moved into the third phase of its lockdown strategy and Croats can visit salons if special measures are enforced by these kinds of businesses. Up to ten people can gather in the same place on the condition of physical distancing. Shopping centres will also be allowed to reopen as would kindergartens and elementary schools from Grades 1 to 4. Inter-city travel is allowed, but borders remain closed until further notice.
Austria
Lockdown Start Date: 16/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 15/06/2020
Starting 1 May, Austrians are now allowed to move around more freely, while maintaining distance from each other, and the restriction of movement has been generally lifted. Cafés and restaurants will reopened on 15 May, and hotels will reopen on 29 May. Borders are due to open with Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary on 15 June.
Czech Republic
Lockdown Start Date: 12/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 25/05/2020
Some shops and services already opened in previous weeks but the lower house of Parliament voted to extend the state of emergency until 17 May. However, bars, restaurants, galleries, and other similar public spaces are now open, although masks must be worn at all times. Railway corridors to Germany and Austria are functional, but international travel has not yet been discussed. Offices that can facilitate a 2-meter distance between employees are also open.
Switzerland
Lockdown Start Date: 20/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 08/06/2020
Switzerland began easing its eight-week lockdown in stages from 27 April. Garden centres, hairdressers and beauty salons were allowed to reopen on 27 April. Schools, libraries, museums and non-food shops followed on 11 May, with strict distancing measures. So too did restaurants, bars and cafes with a limit of four guests per table, with tables 2m apart. Hand sanitiser is being provided at railway stations and passengers are advised to wear masks on public transport.
Slovakia
Lockdown Start Date: 15/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: Mid June
Government release a 4 steps lockdown exit measures and the country is currently in the first phase until further notice. Slovakia has decided to ease its restrictions on cross-border movement for some of its citizens – mainly targeting those who are employed in the neighbouring countries’ social care sectors. No clear directive on international or intra-EU travel has been announced as of yet. Some shops, outdoor markets, outdoor sports venues for non-contact sports, outdoor tourist attractions, outdoor areas of bars and restaurants, museums, galleries and short and long-term accommodation without catering open.
Slovenia
Lockdown Start Date: 20/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 15/05/2020
Slovenia became the first European country to declare an end to the coronavirus pandemic in its territory on Thursday, although the government warned that some measures would have to remain in place for the time being. Slovenia has decided to allow EU nationals to cross the border at selected checkpoints, ending the policy of seven-day quarantine. Third-country nationals will be subject to a two-week quarantine, with some exceptions. Hairdressers, beauty salons and pet grooming centres reopened on May 4. Public transport has been restarted, and as of March 30, people can leave their municipality only for work or medical purposes.
Turkey
N/A
Italy
Lockdown Start Date: 10/03/2020
Lockdown End Date: 03/06/2020
In early May, some restrictions were relaxed and people are now able to travel for longer distances, as well as visit their relatives in small numbers. On 3 June, Italy unilaterally reopened its borders and ended regional travel restrictions. Bars and restaurants reopened on 18 May, but hosting reduced numbers of diners, with tables further apart and plastic shields to separate customers. Hairdressers also reopened on 18 May, as did more shops, museums and libraries, and sports teams are able to hold group training. Catholic Church masses resumed from 18 May, but with strict social distancing and wearing of face masks. Funerals are now allowed with a maximum of 15 people attending, ideally outdoors. Schools will not reopen until 1 September. Gyms and swimming pools reopened in most regions on 25 May, with strict social distancing rules, but not in Lombardy, the northern region at the epicentre of Italy’s crisis.
