Balkan Countries Start to Lift Some Coronavirus Restrictions

Several countries have announced this week that they will start to gradually lift some of the measures they introduced to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, but slowly and in stages.

Starting from Tuesday, services such as mechanics, tailors, dry cleaners and retailers are reopening in Serbia, as well as farmers' markets, although with some protective measures in place. Shopping malls, hairdressers and beauty salons, gyms and fitness centres all remain closed.

The Serbian government said the changes are being made in accordance with the epidemiological situation and the opinions of experts.

The government also said on Monday that people aged over 65 will now be allowed out of their homes for 30-minute walks on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays between 6pm and 1am, up to 600 metres from their residence. The daily overnight curfew has been shortened by one hour.

In neighbouring Croatia, which has been in lockdown since mid-March, the authorities at the weekend extended COVID-19 restrictions for another two weeks, but with modifications.

People can now move within counties without e-passes - a special electronic document issued by the authorities to those who can prove that they have a reason to leave the city or municipality in which they reside.

Despite questions from the public, media and business about when the restrictive measures will be fully lifted, the Croatian government has not yet publicly outlined a timetable.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday that the government will soon define measures to relaunch some economic activities in line with epidemiological standards.

North Macedonia's Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski announced on Monday that his cabinet is...