Photo shows a reopened shop in Geneva, Switzerland, May 11, 2020. Switzerland implemented the second phase of the easing measures on May 11 to allow restaurants, museums and ordinary shops to resume business. (Xinhua/Nie Xiaoyang)

Switzerland on Monday entered the second phase of relaxation measures as part of a three-phase plan to get back to normal life.

In accordance with the decision of the Swiss Federal Council, from Monday restaurants, shopping malls, markets, museums and libraries were allowed to reopen, and primary and junior middle schools were able to resume their classes.

However, according to the government rules, with the exception of families with children, no more than four persons may be served at each dining table in restaurants and the tables should be spaced at least two meters apart. In the resumed classroom, students are required to keep more than two meters away from the teacher.

Also on Monday, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) resumed most of its operations. The passengers are advised to avoid rush hour travel and wear masks if they cannot maintain a safe distance. The Geneva bus company also decided to distribute masks to passengers during rush hours.

Along with the recovering public transport is the further eased entry restrictions at the country's borders. According to the Swiss Federal Customs Administration, of the 130 border crossings closed during the pandemic, 20 have now been reopened.

People order at a restaurant in Geneva, Switzerland, May 11, 2020. Switzerland implemented the second phase of the easing measures on May 11 to allow restaurants, museums and ordinary shops to resume business. (Xinhua/Nie Xiaoyang)

Daniel Koch, the Federal Office of Public Health's Special delegate for the new coronavirus pandemic, told a press conference on Monday that the situation continued to improve in Switzerland, a trend that could be maintained if more efforts were made in contact tracing.

"We hope that the trend will continue like this," he said, "for this, it is important that anyone with flu-like symptoms, severe or mild, get tested. The chains of transmission can thus be traced and the curve continue to decrease."

As of Monday, Switzerland has reported a total of 30,344 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,543 deaths.