A woman wearing a mask rides a bicycle along second avenue n New York. Photo / AP
A woman wearing a mask rides a bicycle along second avenue n New York. Photo / AP
All eyes are on Jacinda Ardern, who on Monday will reveal whether New Zealand will come out of lockdown next week. As the Government mulls its next move, here are how other countries around the world are dealing with Covid-19.
The UK faces at least another three weeks in lockdown and businesses have been left in the dark about when they might be able to restart operations.
But in many European countries, and even in the US, governments have started to relax some of their more draconian restrictions and have outlined timetables for their exit strategies.
Although these moves have been limited – the World Health Organisation has warned that Europe should move with "extreme caution" in ending restrictions – they give businesses greater clarity about when they can reopen.
Here is a breakdown of how countries are beginning to restart their economies:
Austria
People with protective masks queue up to go in a hardware store in Vienna, Austria. Photo / AP
Austria was one of the first European countries to shut down public life in order to halt the spread of coronavirus. And on Tuesday, it became one of the first to slowly ease lockdown measures on businesses and restart its economy.
Small stores with sales area of less than 400 square meters and hardware and gardening outlets were given permission to reopen this week.
However, it is not business as usual. Access restrictions are in place to make sure customers can social distance in stores, and face masks are mandatory in all shops as well as on public transport.
If the reopening doesn't lead to a surge in infections, shopping malls and all other stores in the country will be allowed to reopen on May 2, its government said.
This will be followed by schools, restaurants and hotels in mid-May. But large events won't be allowed before the end of June.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: "This is a first step in the direction of opening that's become possible.
"We want to give as much freedom as possible and as much restriction as necessary. We're following our schedule, but if the numbers go into the wrong direction again, we'll use the emergency brake."
The country has so far done well in its attempt to contain the virus, and has about 14,400 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 393 deaths.
Italy
Camilla Cocchi wears a face mask and gloves as she sorts out clothing in her children's clothes shop after it was allowed to reopen in Rome. Photo / AP
Italy, the original epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, has begun to roll back some restrictions for a small number of businesses.
On Tuesday, its government allowed bookshops, stationery stores and clothes retailers for young children to reopen on a trial basis.
But the country is still in a state of nationwide lockdown until May 4 and some regional authorities have chosen to keep bookstores and stationery shops closed, despite the easing of restrictions on a national level.
These include northern regions that have been hardest hit by the virus such as Lombardy and Piemonte.
The Italian government decided to ease restrictions after the number of infections continued to fall in recent weeks.
Many businesses and academics have been pressing the government to reopen the economy, which has been in lockdown since March 9.
Earlier this month, about 150 Italian academics published a letter in the country's financial daily Il Sole-24 Ore, owned by the Italian business lobby Confindustria, urging the government to unblock the economy and warning of "irreversible damage".
Germany
"Leave no one behind" is written on the floor in front of the Federal Chancellery in Berlin. Photo / AP
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country had achieved a "fragile intermediate success" in its fight against coronavirus and would partially reopen shops next week and schools from May 4.
Retailers whose shops are up to 800 square metres will be allowed to open next week, along with car and bicycle dealers, and bookstores.
Strict social distancing and hygiene rules will still be enforced, however, and the government "strongly recommended" that Germans wear face masks on public transport and when shopping.
Ms Merkel said schools would start opening from May 4, with priority given to final-year students, and hairdressers could also begin to operate.
However, in a further blow to the leisure industry, bars, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and music venues will all remain closed until August 31, along with large public gatherings and religious services.
Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said: "We are in a new normal that will not be short but will be with us for some time, until we have managed to develop better medicines and vaccines to prevent the spread of the pandemic."
Switzerland
People wearing protective face masks wait in long queue in a mall of supermarkets to shop in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo / AP
The Swiss government has said it will start a gradual relaxation of restrictions from April 27.
Doctors, hairdressers, massage and cosmetics parlours will be the first businesses to reopen. From May 11, some schools, shops and markets will follow.
In a third stage, Switzerland will reopen secondary schools, vocational schools and universities from June 8.
The Swiss government said: "Sufficient time must elapse between each stage to allow the effects of the relaxation to be observed. The criteria are the number of new infections, hospital admissions and deaths, and hospital occupancy rates."
The government's ban on meetings of more than five people is also likely to be relaxed, but the details of this stage will not be announced until the end of May.
Meanwhile, industrial enterprises in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino have been allowed to gradually restart operations, but must adhere to strict social distancing and hygiene measures.
Spain
Passengers wearing face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, walk along a tunnel in a metro station in Barcelona, Spain. Photo / AP
Spain also made its first tentative steps back to normality this week, and allowed workers to return to factories and construction sites.
However, many workers were not needed because of a lack of demand.
Most shops and services remain closed and office staff were told to continue working from home if they can.
It came as the country's death toll surpassed 19,000, the highest in Europe after Italy, but the daily increase in new cases slowed to its lowest level in nearly a month.
Last weekend Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: "We are still far from victory, from the moment when we will recover normality in our lives.
"We are all keen to go back out on the streets... but our desire is even greater to win the war and prevent a relapse."
US
Pedestrians cross second avenue in New York. Photo / AP
Despite virus-related deaths continuing to surge in the US, President Donald Trump is set to announce new guidelines on Thursday for governors to start the process of reopening their states.
The plan is expected to outline an easing of restrictions in areas with lower numbers of Covid-19 cases, but the ultimate decision will remain with individual governors.
Mr Trump said some regions may be able to reopen before the end of the month, which he described as very exciting.
"We'll be opening some states much sooner than others," he said on Wednesday.
However, in a round of calls with business leaders this week, the president was warned that a dramatic uptick in testing capacity and wider availability of protective equipment was needed for the safe restoration of operations.
