BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union must only lift coronavirus restrictions slowly and gradually to avoid another wave of infections, the head of the bloc’s executive said on Thursday.Ursula von der Leyen spoke after the 27 national leaders discussed stepping up joint testing efforts in the bloc, doling out vaccines and coordinating easing lockdowns as a second wave of the pandemic weighs on Europe. “We have all learned from the experience in the summer that the exit from a wave ... is very difficult and that ... lifting measures too hastily has had a very bad impact on the epidemiological situation in summer and fall,” she said. “Therefore, this time expectations have to be managed. We will make a proposal for a gradual and coordinated approach to lifting ... containment measures. This will be very important to avoid the risk of yet another wave.” Europe has had about 11.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 280,000 people have died, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The pandemic has also thrust the EU into its deepest recession.