Europeans winning back some freedom

Spaniards dash outside, but France tightens up and cases spike jolts Russia

Spaniards took to the streets to jog, cycle and rollerskate for the first time following 48 days of confinement on Saturday as some European nations cautiously eased coronavirus lockdowns. In contrast, concerns deepened in Russia after a surge in infections.

But in hard-hit Spain, from Madrid to Mallorca, people flocked to the streets as they were allowed to exercise and walk freely outside after the government eased seven weeks of strict lockdown. It is among the countries with the most fatalities, at more than 25,000.

"After so many weeks in confinement, I wanted to go out, run, see the world," said financial adviser Marcos Abeytua in Madrid."Yesterday, I was like a child on Christmas Eve."

Near the city's Retiro park, residents were out running, sometimes in groups. Crowds of joggers mingled with cyclists and skateboarders in Barcelona's seaside neighborhood.

Spain, Germany, Austria and Scandinavian nations are gradually easing lockdowns as virus cases slow, though they will keep social distancing measures, the use of masks and testing to try to track infections.

The virus has now killed more than 230,100 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Contingency plan

The British government had a contingency plan for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's death as his condition deteriorated while he battled the virus last month in intensive care, Johnson said in an interview with The Sun newspaper.

Johnson returned to work on April 27, a month after testing positive for COVID-19. He spent 10 days in isolation in Downing Street from late March, but was then was taken to London's St Thomas' Hospital where he received oxygen treatment and spent three nights in intensive care.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said people traveling into France, including citizens returning home, will be placed in a 14-day quarantine as part of new, extended proposals to limit the spread of the virus.

Arrivals in France are restricted to those on essential travel, and a travel certificate is required.

In Russia, authorities reported the country's largest spike in coronavirus cases, with new infections rising by nearly 10,000 in a single day.

In Moscow, the epicenter of Russia's outbreak, around 2 percent of the population is infected by the virus causing COVID-19."The threat is apparently on the rise," said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.

India on Sunday reported its biggest one-day jump in cases as the country entered the 40th day of a nationwide lockdown.

Confirmed infections had neared the 40,000 mark and the death toll reached 1,301, including 83 deaths in the last 24 hours, officials said on Sunday afternoon. The 2,600 newly confirmed cases are the most for a single day in the country.

The six-week lockdown, which had been supposed to end on April 27, was extended another two weeks.