Our ongoing list of how countries are reopening, and which ones remain under lock-down

Juliana Kaplan , Lauren Frias , and Morgan McFall-Johnsen Sep 24, 2020, 12:04 AM





Models present creations from the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2021 men's collection in a live-streamed show at the university campus of the Humanitas Research Foundation in one of the first physical fashion shows since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, during Milan Digital Fashion Week in Rozzano, south of Milan, Italy, July 15, 2020.



As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, some countries are putting their citizens on various forms of lockdown, though that's not a technical term used by public-health officials. 



Most countries, including Spain, Germany, and South Korea, have started relaxing lockdown measures. The results have been mixed. 




More than 965,742 people have died and over 31,365,633 have been infected by the coronavirus worldwide. 



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Countries around the world are implementing measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, from national quarantines to school closures. 


Several countries (like Spain, Iran, Italy, Denmark, Israel, and Germany) that previously imposed restrictions are beginning to lift lockdown measures. But results have been mixed. While "lockdown" isn't a technical term used by public-health officials, it can refer to anything from mandatory geographic quarantines to non-mandatory


recommendations to stay at home, closures of certain types of businesses, or bans on events and gatherings, Lindsay Wiley, a health law professor at the Washington College of Law, told Vox. 


Here are the countries and territories that have implemented mandatory mass quarantines so far — and how some of them are beginning to open up.




In Germany, the state of Bavaria is enacting new restrictions, but the country likely won't have to go back into a full lockdown.









The Associated Press reports that restrictions lifted everywhere but the city of Auckland on Monday. On Wednesday, the number of people who can gather in Auckland will rise from 10 to 100, and restrictions will be completely lifted after two weeks.



The state of Bavaria announced new coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday, per Reuters. The measures, which will begin on Wednesday, include limiting gatherings and how many households can mingle, and a curfew on restaurants from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. However, as Yahoo News reports, a top virologist says the country will not necessarily need to go into a full lockdown again.



India reopened the Taj Mahal on Monday. Cases there trail only the US.




On Monday, schools reopened in some states, according to the Times of India. Many saw low attendance. 

The Taj Mahal also reopened for the first time since March, per NPR. Previously, according to NPR, the monument used to see around 70,000 visitors daily, but fewer than 300 people had purchased tickets for the reopening day.



China implemented what was then the largest quarantine in human history to contain the coronavirus, locking down at least 16 cities at the end of January. The lockdown on Wuhan ended on April 8.








Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, went into a "wartime lockdown" on July 19, according to CNN, but a massive "testing blitz" helped bring the surge under control. On May 11, the city of


Wuhan ordered that all 11 million residents be tested for coronavirus after six new cases were reported, ending the city's 35-day streak of no new infections. 


In two weeks, 6.5 million were tested. At its peak, China's quarantine spanned at least 20 provinces and regions, according to the Wall Street Journal. Nightclubs are back open.




Brazil's infection numbers have surpassed Spain and Italy, but Rio de Janeiro has reopened.





Brazil trails only the US and India in its number of infections and deaths. Major city Rio de Janeiro has reopened as the country heads into its warmer months, according to Reuters, sparking fears that a hard-hit city will suffer more infections. 

A group that represents over 1 million medical professionals has accused President Jair Bolsonaro of a crime against humanity and filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court, according to NPR. 


Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the pandemic and even encouraged anti-lockdown protesters — and he has argued with governors who imposed stay-at-home orders. A federal judge ordered him to wear a face mask in public. He later tested positive for the coronavirus; two other government ministers have also tested positive, 

NPR reports. As of Tuesday, Brazil had 4,558,040 infections and 137,272 deaths.