Coronavirus: Qatar to lift restrictions in four-phase plan

The second phase of easing the restrictions will start on July 1

Palestinian women walk next to a graffiti painted by artists amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, in Gaza City. EPA

Iraqis gather at a coffee shop in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. AFP

Iraqi security forces are deployed to enforce an extended curfew amid the pandemic, in Baghdad. AFP

Men walk by covered stalls in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AFP

Palestinian families enjoy their time at the beach amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in Gaza City. EPA

Medical staff and patients listen to Ghada Harb, the leader of the Syrian Ghardenia female choir, and the singers of her group as they perform outside of the Children's Hospital in Damascus, Syria, as part of the official 'The culture at your house' initiative aimed at thanking medics and nurses for their efforts in these times of crisis. EPA

Ghada Harb, the leader of the Syrian Ghardenia female choir, and the singers of her group perform outside of the Children's Hospital in Damascus, Syria. EPA

A woman and her child are sprayed with disinfectant as they enter a nursery after the government eased the coronavirus restrictions in Amman, Jordan. Reuters

A teacher wearing a protective suit interacts with a child at a nursery after the government eased the coronavirus restrictions in Amman, Jordan. Reuters

A woman buys vegetables from a cafe transformed into a fruit and vegetable shop in Cairo, Egypt. Reuters

Egyptians wearing protective face masks stand outside a post office in Cairo, Egypt. EPA

Students wearing face masks sit at a classroom at the Tunis Al-Manar university complex in Tunis, Tunisia, after authorities eased measures put in place to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic. EPA

Tunisian player Naim Selliti attends a training session at the Elmanzeh stadium in Tunis, Tunisia. Tunisian national football team resumed training on Monday. EPA

A Tunisian public health worker disinfects El Menzah Olympic Stadium in Tunis. EPA

Qatar will start lifting coronavirus restrictions in its cities under a four-phase plan starting on June 15, when some mosques will be allowed to reopen, government spokeswoman Lolwah Rashed Al Khater has said.

The second phase will start on July 1 followed by the final two phases beginning on August 1 and September 1.

The second phase will allow a partial reopening of restaurants and the third will permit the resumption of flights from low-risk countries and the reopening of shopping malls and markets with limited capacity. The fourth will allow wedding parties, business gatherings such as exhibitions, and the reopening of theatres and cinemas, she said.

Qatar reported 1,368 new coronavirus cases and three deaths on Monday, bringing the total to 70,158 cases with 57 deaths