EU may start lifting COVID-19 restrictions in Q2

The European Union may start easing the COVID-19 restrictions in the second quarter of 2021 based on the current vaccination and virus transmission dynamics, the European Commission stated in a report published on Tuesday.

"The second quarter could see the start of the relaxation of confinement measures and further reopening of food services, assuming a progressing rollout of the vaccination," the report, Short-Term Outlook for EU Agricultural Markets in 2021, said.

However, according to the document, significant uncertainties yet remain due to the varying speed of vaccination campaigns across the EU countries and the risk of the emergence of new coronavirus variants that could be resistant to existing vaccines.

Currently, over 12 percent of the EU population have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and over five percent have been fully inoculated, out of the target 70 per cent. (/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )