Children play outside in Spain for the first time in weeks

(AP): Spain let children go outside and play for the first time in six weeks as European countries methodically work to ease their lockdowns and reopen their economies, while in the United States, governors have moved at differing speeds, some more aggressive, others more cautious.

Elsewhere around the world, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to go back to work tomorrow at 10 Downing Sreet after a bout with COVID-19 that put him in intensive care.

While governors in states, such as  hard-hit New York and Michigan are keeping stay-at-home restrictions in place until at least mid-May, their counterparts in Georgia and Oklahoma have allowed salons, spas and barbershops to reopen. And Alaska cleared the way for restaurants to resume dine-in service and for stores and other businesses to open, with limitations.

The official death toll from the disease has topped 200,000 worldwide, with 2.9 million confirmed infections, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, although the real figures are believed to be much higher, in part because of inadequate testing and differences in counting the dead.

Italy, Britain, Spain and France accounted for more than 20,000 deaths each, the US for more than 55,000.

Some encouraging signs were seen, as Italy recorded its lowest 24-hour number of deaths since mid-March, with 260, and New York state registered its fewest since late last month, with 367.

Still, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sounded a cautious note about any reopening, though he acknowledged officials need to think about safe activities people can engage in as the crisis wears on.

“You can’t tell people in a dense urban environment all through the summer months: ‘We don’t have anything for you to do,’” the Democrat said. “There’s a sanity equation we need to pay attention to.”

Oklahoma Gov Kevin Stitt, a Republican, told “Fox News Sunday” that with hospitalisations dropping in his state, it will reopen churches and restaurant dining on Friday, with social distancing guidelines in place.

“We believe it’s the time to have a measured reopening,” he said.

Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, told ABC’s “This Week” that her state needs more robust testing, community tracing and a plan for isolating people who get sick with COVID-19.

“We’ve got to be nimble and we have to follow the science and be really smart about how we reengage,” she said, “because no one -- no one, even if you’re a protester or you’re the sitting governor or you’re on another side of the issue -- we know that no one wants a second wave.”

She added: “It would be devastating for the health of our people and for our economy.”

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