Austria plans to reopen smaller shops next week

Vienna's horse-drawn carriages deliver meals during lockdown. Pic/AFP

Austria plans to reopen non-essential shops of up to 400 square metres, as well as all DIY shops and garden centres, on Tuesday. It's likely to become the first Western country to attempt to reopen its economy since the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Austria, locked down since March 16, is among a small number of European countries that have announced plans to ease restrictions on social life, transport and cross-border travel. Shopping malls, hairdressers and larger stores should reopen from May 1, though the plan could change if infections accelerate.

Restaurants and hotels, meanwhile, will have to wait until mid-May at the earliest and no events will be held until at least late June, the conservative chancellor ebastian Kurz said.

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