After weeks of lockdown, countries in Europe have taken their first step to relax lockdown restrictions, as pressure grows to revive the economies.

In Italy, the first EU state to be heavily hit by the virus, dozens of businesses were allowed to resume activity on 14 April, including bookshops, stationers and shops selling children's clothes, although harsh confinement measures remain in place.

Spain, which maintains one of Europe's strictest lockdowns, allowed some sectors, including construction and manufacturing, to go back to work on Monday, and Poland announced on Tuesday it would ease restrictions on shops starting April 19.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also announced a plan to ease restrictions.

As Merkel recommended, social distancing rules will be maintained until at least May 3. But shops under a certain size and school could reopen gradually. Large public gathering including religious activities will be banned until August 31.

Meanwhile, Denmark reopened schools on April 15, while Austria allowed large shops to restart activities on Tuesday and plans to reopen shopping centers from May 1.

Last month, EU leaders acknowledged that the lockdown exit should be coordinated, with guidelines from Brussels.

The European commission advised governments to let members states know of plans to ease restrictions, including border controls, on businesses and some other confinement restrictions.

"It is time to develop a well-coordinated EU exit strategy," the Commission said in a draft set of recommendations, which it is expected to adopt this week.

"The exit strategy should be coordinated between the member states, to avoid negative spillover effects."

According to an EU internal paper seen by the Financial Times, the lifting of measures is recommended to start at local level and be gratefully extended geographically. 

"At a minimum, member states should notify each other and the commission in due time before they lift measures and take into account their views," the document says. "It is essential that there is a common approach and operating framework."

But not all European countries are moving to ease lockdown measures. 

Over in the UK, things are moving in a different direction, as it announced an extended lockdown for at least three weeks on Thursday after deaths were reported in nursing homes. 

(With inputs from agencies)