Roughly half of Spain’s 47 million people shifted into a softer version of the country’s strict confinement, beginning to socialize, shop in small stores and enjoy outdoor seating in restaurants and bars. Its biggest cities of Madrid and Barcelona remained under lockdown as the country reported the lowest numbers of coronavirus-related deaths and infections since March 17.
In Greece, Smaragda Petridou was out buying beauty products from a cosmetics chain.
“Look, I’m not afraid to go in when the protection measures are being adhered to,” she said. “We’ll shop, what can we do? So the shops can survive too.”…
Spanish hotels were allowed to open as long as they don’t mix guests in public areas. But with people not allowed to travel outside of their provinces and few flights from overseas, the prospects were bleak.
“Unfortunately this year’s business is lost already, it’s going to be catastrophic,” said Manuel Domínguez, manager at Seville’s Doña María Hotel.
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