NICOSIA — Only a month after a lockdown was tightened on Cyprus to slow the spread of COVID-19 it has worked well enough to allow some restrictions to be lifted and let schools reopen for classes on Feb. 8, as well as museums and archeological sites.

Retail businesses staggered by the year-long pandemic are also going to open their doors just as Greece’s lockdown closed them again except for buying online and picking up outside stores.

Betting shops can open too but bettors must remain standing and churches can hold services with a maximum of 50 people,

A second closing of non-essential businesses began Jan. 10, including hairdressers, beauty parlors and department stores and people were allowed to leave their homes only twice a day for allowable missions such as buying groceries or medicines and taking exercise and there was a curfew from 9 p.m.to 5 a.m.