Economics
Europe’s Most Radical Virus Fighters Are Reopening for Business
- Governments start gradual openings with more planned for May
- EU’s eastern wing still faces worse recession than 2008
A worker disinfects streets in Bratislava on April 21.
Photographer: Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Central and eastern Europe is reopening for business, as evidence grows that strict -- and early -- lockdowns have shielded the region from the pandemic.
From the Baltics to the Black Sea, governments are taking the first concrete steps to open borders and unlock stores, parks and restaurants, while also stressing that restrictions including rules requiring masks in public will continue for some time.