Italy begins easing coronavirus lockdown after nine weeks

Italy has begun easing its coronavirus lockdown, the world's longest, allowing people to visit relatives and return to work after nine weeks of strict restrictions.

Over four million people, primarily men, have returned to their jobs in construction and manufacturing as the nation attempts an economic recovery.

Cafes have reopened for takeout service, and the sounds of activity have replaced the previous unnerving silence in cities like Rome.

However, bars and ice cream parlors remain closed, and the use of public transport is discouraged, with mandatory mask-wearing in indoor public spaces.

Italy, the first Western democracy to impose a nationwide lockdown on March 9, has officially recorded 28,884 deaths, the highest in Europe.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte initially imposed localized lockdowns in the northern industrial heartland on March 8 before expanding to a nationwide shutdown due to the virus's rapid spread.

The government is emphasizing a "moment of responsibility" as the country navigates the reopening phase.