Businesses in the US state of New York have partially reopened under the first step of a plan to ease restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus.

Operations in the construction and manufacturing sectors resumed in some rural areas on Friday.

Under the four-phase plan, each region in New York must meet certain criteria regarding the number of new hospitalizations and bed availability.

The reopening of retail stores, restaurants and financial services will occur in the later phases. Activities in the central part of the state are still heavily restricted.

Maryland and Virginia also allowed some businesses to restart operations on Friday. It means 47 states have reopened to a certain extent.

However, there have been more than 15,000 new coronavirus cases confirmed in the US every day this week.

In the state of California, some retail businesses resumed on May 8. They include supermarkets, pharmacies and bookshops.

In Los Angeles, a florist reopened for the first time in about two months, but with limits to how transactions take place. The owner said sales have dropped by 90 percent compared to before the outbreak.