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Germany eases strict lockdown measures but simultaneously launches an "**emergency brake" **mechanism, allowing for renewed restrictions in case infections pick up again.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned governments against rushing to lift restrictions and advised them to proceed "extremely carefully" to avoid a second wave of cases.

The European Union's ambassador to China says the global fight to tackle COVID-19 is being undermined by Sino-U.S. tensions .

The **UK's central bank **says the country faces its biggest **economic slump **in more than 300 years in 2020, before bouncing back in 2021.

Germany's Bundesliga is to restart on 15 May , making it the first of Europe's top football leagues to get under way.

Poland's lower house of **parliament **hasapproved a government-sponsored legislation that would allow the country's now-postponed presidential election to go ahead by postal ballot .

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are to open their borders to each others' citizens, creating a Baltic "travel bubble" within the EU as part of a phased return to normalcy.

Iceland claims to have almost eliminated the virus after 97 percent of patients have recovered and with only two new cases emerging last week.

**The Netherlands **plans to loosen its lockdown from next week and has outlined a four-month roadmap to phase out social restrictions if the virus remains under control.

Spain has extended its **state of emergency **for two more weeks from Sunday to allow the authorities regulate people's movements as it gradually emerges from a national lockdown .

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00:32

ACROSS EUROPE

Alex Fraser in Milan

Italy has begun to relax Europe's most stringent lockdown this week. As people begin to return to work and walk in parks, Italians are worried about the next stage of this pandemic; the future of the economy.

Most businesses were expected to reopen by 1 June, but if the level of new infections continues to decrease further, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte faces pressure from small business owners and the Italian right to reopen them quicker to avert an economic disaster.

Ira Spitzer in Berlin

German states are formulating plans for reopening restaurants and tourism, after being given the go-ahead following a meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of the country's 16 states. Most states plan to reopen restaurants later this month under stringent hygiene regulations.

The Robert Koch Institute estimates the coronavirus reproduction rate in Germany is currently .65, meaning that, on average, 100 infected people spread the virus to 65 others. That is the lowest number it has given since the outbreak began.

02:51

Iolo Ap Dafydd in London

With more COVID-19 fatalities in the UK than any other country in Europe, the six-week lockdown is to reviewed by the government on Thursday. The extent of initial easing measures and when/how to restart the economy are top of the agenda as the country looks to avoid another wave of the virus, which has killed more than 30,000 already.

Meanwhile, the UK is still suffering a shortfall in the amount of protective clothing needed for medical staff, after a recent consignment from Turkey was found to be unusable.

The country is also working on how to trace and track the coronavirus. It is in the process of trialing a National Health Service app on the Isle of Wight.

Toni Waterman in Brussels

The European Union's enlargement appears to have been put on the backburner for now. In a summit with Western Balkans leaders, EU heads of state failed to lay out a timetable for them to join the bloc. Instead, the meeting focused on unity and a $3.5 billion support package to help the Western Balkans tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Restaurant owners and workers are staging a protest in Brussels' Grand Place after the government failed to clarify when bars, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to reopen. Bankruptcies in the industry are on the rise, after all restaurants, bars and cafes were forced to shut in mid-March.