Europeans soak up the sun amid new guidelines

France will relax its border restrictions from Monday, allow migrant workers and family visitors from other European countries

Europeans and Americans soaked up the sun where they could, taking advantage of the first holiday weekend since coronavirus restrictions were eased, while European governments grappled with how and when to safely let in foreign travellers to salvage the vital summer tourist season.

Yet even as social distancing rules spread families and friends out on Sunday across beaches and parks, the virus remained a constant threat. The United States was on track to surpass 100,000 coronavirus deaths in the next few days, while Europe has seen over 169,000 dead, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The New York Times marked the horror by devoting Sunday’s entire front page to a long list of names of those who have died in the pandemic in the US under a headline that called it “An Incalculable Loss.”

President Donald Trump played golf at one of his courses during the Memorial Day weekend as he urged US states to reopen their coronavirus lockdowns. However, many Americans were cautious as the number of confirmed cases passed 1.6 million nationwide.