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The EU unveiled a proposed 750-billion-euro recovery plan Wednesday to get the continent back on its feet after the devastation wreaked by the coronavirus pandemic, as Latin America outpaced Europe and the US in the number of daily infections. As quoted by AFP.com ( 27/5) the massive European plan follows other unprecedented emergency measures introduced around the world to rescue economies shattered by the disease, which has claimed more than 350,000 lives while infections top 5.6 million. While the virus continues to wreak havoc in Latin America, Europe has slowly started reopening businesses as outbreaks on the continent slow, but Italy and Spain lack the firepower of richer European nations to rebuild their economies.The European Union put forward a 750 billion euro ($825 billion) proposal to the European Parliament and member states on Wednesday, aiming to help the worst-affected countries with a mix of grants and loans//AFP

Foreign visitors to Spain will no longer have to undergo a two-week quarantine from 1 July, the government has announced. It said the measure had been finalised in a cabinet meeting on Monday. Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya had previously said the requirement would be lifted in July, without giving a date. The news comes as the UK government prepares to bring in its own 14-day quarantine policy from 8 June. Travel firms and other industry bodies say the UK should relax the measure for visitors arriving from countries where people are at a lower risk of contracting the coronavirus. UK Prime minister, Boris Johnson stated during a press conference on Tuesday (26/05/20) that UK will reopen business sector on June 1st.

"Today I want to give the retail sector notice of our intention to reopen shops so they to can get ready. So I will announce that it is our intention to allow outdoor market to reopen from June the first subject to all premisis being made covid secure as well as car showrooms with often had significant outdoor space that generally easier to apply social distancing. We know that the transmission of the virus is lower outdoors. And it is easier to follow covid secure guidelines in open spaces. That means we can also allow outdoor market to reopne in a save way without the risk causing the second wave of the virus. Then from the 15th of June we intent to allow all other non essential retails ranging from department store to small independent shops to reopen. Again this change will be continue among progress againts the five test and will be only be permitted for those retail premisis which are covid secure" the prime minister said.    

Greece is also begin lifting quarantine restriction in an attemps to boost its flaging tourism industry. Greek are once again able to travel freely to the countries islands, the return of domestic travel is an important step towards restarting the wider tourism industry which make up at least fifth of greek economy. But tempature check and social distancing still the main rules as the Greek Deputy Foreign Minister, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis on the interview with bbc news revealed.

"Greece cope with covid 19 crisis pretty well. We had 160 people dead of the virus and only 2000 incidents accured in this country. So we actualy believe that we have contain the first wave of this pandemic and now we start to opening up. Today we opening up bars and restaurants, thank GOD we live in the country that has a good weather so we can use the outdoor spaces in order to gather and from June 15th we are going to open the international flights" the deputy said. 

Greece recorded its first Covid-19 case on 26 February and the government acted swiftly to impose a lockdown. 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, Shops are now all able to reopen and indoor shopping centres can do so on 1 June, 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 and 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//NK

Tokyo and Brussels have agreed to strengthen the Japan-EU strategic partnership and enhance cooperation to combat the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, according to a statement released by the European Council on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel held a video conference and agreed that the strategic partnership between both parties will be vital to aiding the epidemiological and economic recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the European Council statement, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Japan-EU strategic partnership. It will play an important role in recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and in tackling other common challenges that have not diminished.

Encouraged by the initial positive results, the leaders expressed their determination to continue implementing the Japan-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement and Economic Partnership Agreement. Tokyo and Brussels will also work to strengthen preparedness for any future pandemics and welcomed a resolution passed at the World Health Organization’s World Health Assembly that called for greater global solidarity to combat the disease//Sputnik

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he will not allow students to go back to school until a coronavirus vaccine is available, even as some countries resume in-person classes. Children were due to return to school at the end of August after classes for more than 25 million primary and secondary students were shut down in March as the contagion took off in the Philippines. But in a speech aired late Monday, Duterte said the risk was too great, even if it held students back academically. Though researchers have launched an unprecedented global effort to quickly develop a vaccine, it is not clear when a viable candidate will be proven and distributed on a large scale.   Public school normally runs from June to April in the Philippines, but authorities pushed back the start as cases rose and a strict lockdown brought most of the nation to a halt. In order to ease classroom crowding, the education ministry had already announced a mix of distance-learning measures, including online classes, would be used for the coming school year//JP