TOP HEADLINES
- England reopens pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas in a major relaxation of lockdown measures. There are concerns that "Super Saturday" could see public disorder and a rise in cases.
- An inquiry has been launched into the French government's handling of the coronavirus response. The government has faced criticism over shortages of medical supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.
- The government of Catalonia has locked down the county of Segria, which includes the city of Lleida. Around 200,000 people live in the county, where outbreaks have been reported at fruit-picking businesses, an apartment building, a nursing home and a homeless shelter.
- Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak urged people on Saturday to "eat out to help out" as the economy reaches a historic decline during the coronavirus crisis.
- The Louvre in Paris will reopen on Monday with coronavirus restrictions in place and parts of the complex closed to visitors.
- Formula 1 organizers have announced zero positive tests for coronavirus ahead of the first grand prix of the year on Sunday in Spielberg, Austria.
- There have been 10,902,637 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 522,446 deaths, reported to the World Health Organization.
Migrant workers seeking seasonal work harvesting fruit sleep on the street in Lleida, Catalonia. The Segria region is in lockdown after several outbreaks, including some linked to fruit-picking. /Emilio Morenatti/AFP
ACROSS EUROPE
Guy Henderson in Berlin
South America has now had more coronavirus cases than Europe, according to Agence France Presse. The virus is by no means gone in Europe, though.
Berlin reported 48 new cases on Friday. The German state of Rhineland Palatinate has also seen an increase in case numbers in recent days.
Authorities remain confident they can contain each new outbreak during the summer months. The largest resurgence so far originated at a meat packing plant in North Rhine-Westphalia leading to the country's first localized lockdown since restrictions were eased.
On Friday evening, officials extended the closure of the Tönnies meat plant until 17 July. By Saturday morning, animal rights protesters had scaled the roof of the premises and blocked its entrance with a human chain. They want it shut permanently.
The European Union started to ease entry restrictions for non-EU citizens this week. Not everyone's aligned on who should be allowed into the borderless Shengen zone, though. Germany's interior ministry says the non-EU partners of EU citizens must be married to be eligible to enter.
On Friday, the EU interior commissioner Ylva Johansson asked members to interpret the term "partner" as broadly as possible.
Campaigners, including some NHS staff, held lanterns outside Downing Street on Friday for British NHS medical and care workers who have died due to COVID-19. /Alastair Grant/AP
Nawied Jabarkhyl in London
In what has been dubbed "Super Saturday," pubs, restaurants, hair salons and cinemas have been allowed to reopen in England in the biggest relaxation of lockdown measures since they were first introduced in late March.
Thousands of businesses have swung open their doors, signalling a key plank in the UK's economic recovery. The hospitality sector accounts for about three million jobs, which could be vital in an environment where jobs are being cut.
But while some venues reopen, many businesses still have to stay shut, including indoor gyms and beauty salons. The government is urging people to behave responsibly but for many, this will be an important psychological step in returning to normality, even if it is laced with risks.
As hair salons reopen in England, a stylist wears a PPE face mask. /Paul Ellis/AFP
FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES
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