EU reopens borders, Czechia's street party: COVID-19 daily bulletin

TOP HEADLINES

• Thousands of people took to the streets in Czechia's****capital Prague on Tuesday evening for a public banquet . The dinner, on a500-meter table spanning the length of the medieval Charles Bridge, was organized to celebrate the "end of COVID-19."

• Countries within the European Union will begin to reopen borders to some nations outside the EU on Wednesday , after voting on 14 countries outside the bloc to be allowed to travel freely. As we reported on Tuesday, the

U.S. didn't make the list

, meaning its citizens can't travel to Europe for at least the next two weeks.

• Spain announced it will only open its border with Morocco if there is a reciprocal agreement to let people traveling via Spain enter the North African country, despite Morocco being on the 14-country travel list voted on by EU member states.

• As the UK city of Leicester enters its second day of another lockdown, **a virologist has warned the country's citizens to expect more areas **to be put under similar restrictions in the future in a move to prevent the spread of the virus.

• Spain's Teatro Real opera house will reopen its doors to the public on Wednesday, becoming one of the world's first opera houses to do so.

• Airline Ryanair is planning to cut 3,500 jobs if it cannot agree pay cuts with its staff, said its CEO Michael O'Leary.

• Russia's cases rose by a further** 6,556 in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall tally to 654,405. Deaths also rose, by 216 to 9,536.**

• Malta reopened its airport on Wednesday to allow visitors from several European countries including France, Germany, Spain and Italy . Citizens from the UK, who account for 30 percent of the island's tourist arrivals, will not be able to re-enter yet.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Prague, Czechia to celebrate the 'end of COVID-19'. /AP

I am expecting there to be a number of Leicesters

• Deenan Pillay, virologist, University College London

ACROSS EUROPE

Mia Alberti in Frankfurt

On Wednesday, Germany takes over the presidency of the European Union council for six months, at a time when the bloc faces some of its biggest challenges yet.

During the next six months, Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, will not only have to tackle one of the biggest health and economic crises the world has ever seen but also the deep unity crisis haunting the bloc.

Merkel will have to manage the rifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic between member states over the approval of emergency financing and debt restructuring. She will also have to contend with Brexit negotiations, which are due to conclude by the end of 2020.

Merkel will have the difficult balancing act of keeping European values intact and member states satisfied, without compromising the bloc's future relationship of trade and cooperation with the UK and also appeasing its U.S. and Chinese partners.

Spain

Spain, along with the rest of the EU member states, can reopen its borders to 14 countries outside the bloc on Wednesday.

Visitors from countries including Australia, Serbia and South Korea will be welcome.

Although Spain announced it would only open its border with Morocco if there is a reciprocal agreement to let people traveling via Spain enter the North African country, despite Morocco being on the 14-country travel list voted on by EU member states.

Spain and Portugal's prime ministers officially reopened their joint border to all travelers on Wednesday after a three-month closure.

Meanwhile, Spain's famous Teatro Real opera house became one of the first opera houses in the world to resume shows.

Verdi's La Traviata, which includes a chorus, orchestra and soloists, will be performed in front of a public audience with social distancing and face mask rules being observed at all times.

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FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN China:

Chinese mainland reports three new COVID-19 cases, all in Beijing

CGTN America:

Fauci: New U.S. cases of COVID-19 could double to 100,000 per day

CGTN Africa:

No decision yet to impose another lockdown, South African minister says

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