Nations reopen yet struggle to define ‘a new normal’

ROME (AP) — As nations around the world loosen coronavirus restrictions, people are discovering that “the new normal” is anything but. Yet some realities have emerged: schools, offices, public transport, bars and restaurants are now on the front lines of post-lockdown life. What a return to normal looks like varies widely, from migrant workers in India finally able to catch trains back to their home villages to wealthy shoppers returning to the boutiques of America’s iconic Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. In Italy, once-packed restaurants and cafes are facing a huge financial hit as they reopen with strict social distancing rules. The losses are forecast to pile up to 30 billion euros ($32 billion) this year.