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| - Romania announced Thursday a new phase of easing coronavirus restrictions starting June 1, with cafe and restaurant terraces reopening, as well as beaches, and outdoor sporting events under certain conditions. According to President Klaus Iohannis, cafe and restaurant terraces will need to respect "special measures" after reopening, such as keeping a distance of at least two metres between tables and limiting the number of guests per table to four. Outdoor concerts and shows will also be permitted again but with no more than 500 spectators. Iohannis said that sporting events will also be allowed, except for contact sports. The country's top football league has however already announced plans to restart on June 13. Romania has reported almost 19,000 cases of the coronavirus so far and 1,229 deaths. The decision to ease measures further comes after the number of new daily cases stayed under 200 for seven consecutive days. However Iohannis cautioned that: "We have 200 new cases today and almost 200 people in intensive care so we cannot speak of a significant reduction of the epidemic." He called on Romanians to 'be careful". Romania enforced a state of emergency in mid-March and replaced it with a "state of alert" on May 15. Since then, face masks have been mandatory in public transport and enclosed public spaces. For the past two weeks, those travelling between towns and villages have needed to carry a form stating their reasons, but this will no longer be necessary after June 1. ii/jsk/wai
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