Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has called Italy's accelerated exit from lockdown “a calculated risk in the knowledge that the contagion curve may rise again”.

“We have to accept it otherwise we will never be able to start up again,” he said at the weekend as he announced that local travel restrictions would be dropped, shops allowed to reopen, and restaurants and bars permitted to serve customers again from May 18th.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Italy from May 18th

Two months of almost total shutdown have taken a severe toll on Italy's economy and Italians' daily lives, and the country must find ways to function despite the new coronavirus if it is to begin recovering, the government has said.

For many businesses, that means face masks, social distancing and frequent cleaning will become the norm.

Here's how people were beginning to adapt to the new phase of Italy's coronavirus crisis on May 18th.

Serving coffee in Milan. Cafés, bars and restaurants are once more allowed to serve customers on the premises, but customers must remain at least a metre apart. Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

READ ALSO: What are Italy's new rules on going to bars and restaurants?

Socially distanced diners in Rome.

Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

CALENDAR: What will Italy reopen next under new lockdown rules?

In Venice, gondoliers began offering rides again even though tourists aren't expected to arrive until at least June.

Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP

READ ALSO: Who is allowed to travel to Italy from June 3rd?

A woman prays at the Duomo in Milan. Houses of worship reopened for the first time in two months, including for socially distanced religious services.

Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

READ ALSO: Italian churches resume mass for first time in two months

A hairdresser at work in Rome. Hair salons, barbers and beauty parlours are among some 800,000 businesses allowed to reopen from May 18th.

Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

A shop in Milan prepares its display. Retailers of all kinds are also allowed to reopen, though staff and customers must wear face masks and disposable gloves to touch merchandise.

Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

A souvenir shop reopens in Rome.

Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

Checking a customer's temperature at the shop in Milan's fashion district.

Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

Playing volleyball in Ostia near Rome. The capital's mayor has said that sport is allowed on local beaches, but not sunbathing.

Photo: Tiziana Fabi/AFP

Passersby in central Milan. Face masks have become compulsory in all indoor public spaces in Italy, while in some regions they're obligatory everywhere in public.

Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP

READ ALSO: How to wear your coronavirus face mask

Having a drink by the Rialto Bridge in Venice. People are once more allowed to meet up with friends, but must continue to avoid large groups.

Photo: Andrea Pattaro/AFP

Socially distanced socializing in Campo di Fiori in Rome.

Photo: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP