Ireland relaxed its Covid-19 restrictions on international travel, and as of today most fully vaccinated people no longer have to self-isolate, news wires reported. Starting from Monday, the EU Digital Covid Certificate system is in use in Ireland as in most countries across the EU.

Frontline health and social care workers in England will be allowed to carry on working even if they are exposed to someone with Covid-19, the government said on Monday as it seeks safe way to ease pressure on the health service caused by rising infections, news wires reported.

Britain, despite some warnings, lifted on Monday most restrictions in what some have dubbed "Freedom Day", news wires reported. Epidemiologists are generally sceptical that lifting restrictions is the right thing to do, but many young British people have had enough of more than 1 1/2 years of lockdowns, and said they long for a party.

Britain is on course to be able to lift most remaining Covid-19 restrictions on 19 July, PM Boris Johnson said on Monday, cited by news agencies. This is his most confident statement yet that the so-called "Freedom Day" will finally take place.

Greece will end the mandatory wearing of face masks outdoors and ease other remaining restrictions imposed to curb the Covid-19 pandemic as infections now clearly recede, authorities said cited by Reuters. As of today wearing face masks will remain mandatory only indoors except in congested outdoor places.

The EU agreed on Wednesday to ease Covid-19 travel restrictions on non-EU visitors ahead of the summer tourist season, two EU sources said cited by Reuters. Member States ambassadors approved a Commission proposal from 3 May to loosen the criteria to determine "safe" countries and to let in fully vaccinated tourists from elsewhere.

The German government could table plans on how to lift restrictions for people who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 by the end of next week, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday. "It can be done within days," Spahn told a news conference during a visit to a vaccine factory in Reinbek, north of Hamburg, Reuters reported.

Sweden will postpone a tentative plan to ease some Covid-19 restrictions due to the ongoing high levels of new infections, the government said on Thursday cited by Reuters. The Nordic country is experiencing a severe third wave of the virus and the number of patients treated in intensive care is at the highest level since the spring of last year.

The Italian government presented a roadmap on Wednesday outlining the gradual lifting of virus-related restrictions, in a process stretching until the summer, news wires reported. Rome also plans to introduce a coronavirus pass in the near future for travel within the country.

New rules and better supply of new vaccine doses will boost Italy’s vaccination campaign, allowing the government to lift restrictions on businesses and citizens starting from May, the health minister said in an interview published on Monday.