File photo: CGTN

Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday urged Germans to stay disciplined in fighting the coronavirus pandemic as the country began easing some curbs, warning that there was a long way to go before claiming victory.

"We stand at the beginning of the pandemic and are still a long way from being out of the woods," she told journalists, saying that it would be a "crying shame if we were to stumble into a relapse with our eyes wide open".