France Savours New Freedoms As Cafes, Museums Reopen By Clare BYRNE and Stuart WILLIAMS 05/19/21 AT 10:16 PM The French on Wednesday joyfully made their way back to cafes, cinemas and museums as the country loosened restrictions in a return to semi-normality after more than six months of Covid-19 curbs. Cafes and restaurants with terraces or rooftop gardens can now offer outdoor dining, under the second phase of a lockdown-lifting plan that should culminate in a full reopening of the economy on June 30. Only outdoor seating will be allowed when France starts lifting its Covid lockdown Wednesday Photo: AFP / Ludovic MARIN Museums, cinemas and some theatres are also reopening after being closed for 203 days.