New Zealand, Australia begin to ease lockdowns

New Zealand and Australia have begun to ease social distancing restrictions with small numbers of family and friends allowed to visit each other’s homes or go to restaurants.

The Australian state of Victoria, which has moved extremely cautiously in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, will now allow visits of up to five people between homes and gatherings of up to 10 people outdoors, the state’s premier, Daniel Andrews, said on Monday morning, reports New York Times.

New South Wales, the state that includes Sydney, will adopt roughly the same guidelines as of Friday, following a plan released by the federal government that outlined how the country could largely resume normal domestic life by July.

In New Zealand, where Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern favored an especially severe lockdown that has lasted for nearly two months, restrictions are set to ease on Thursday to an even greater degree than in Australia.

Ms. Ardern said that restaurants can have a maximum of 100 customers, with bookings limited to groups of 10. Retail stores, malls, cinemas and other public spaces can reopen, while enforcing physical distancing requirements. Home visits of up to 10 people will also be allowed while schools are set to return to normal classes starting on May 18. If no outbreaks alter the timetable, Ms. Ardern said, bars will reopen on May 21.

“Our team of 5 million has united to beat the virus and must keep doing so — and now we must unite to keep rebuilding our economy,” Ms. Ardern told reporters Monday.

The announcements come as pressure to reopen and revive the economies of both countries has intensified. Small protests broke out on Sunday in Melbourne and Sydney, led by those who claimed that the measures to stop the spread of the virus had gone too far.