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.

- More than 165,000 dead -

Absent staff and broken supply chains scuppered efforts by some Indian industries to restart Monday, weeks after the government ordered a nationwide shutdown to stop the spread of coronavirus.

"Minuscule traces" of the new coronavirus have been found in Paris's non-potable water -- such as the supply used for cleaning streets -- but drinking water is at no risk of contamination, a city official said.

Spain said 399 people died of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours in what was the lowest daily number of deaths in four weeks, the government said on Monday.

The latest figures, which showed a slight drop from Sunday when 410 people died, brought further relief to a country which has suffered the third-highest number of virus deaths in the world after the United States and Italy. 

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Monday it would sponsor a clinical trial in the US using hydroxychloroquine to treat patients hospitalised with COVID-19.

Japanese medics are warning more must be done to prevent the coronavirus from overwhelming the country's healthcare system as confirmed cases passed 10,000, despite a nationwide state of emergency.

The director of a maximum-security laboratory in China's coronavirus ground-zero city of Wuhan has rejected claims that it could be the source of the outbreak, calling it "impossible."

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is "on top of things" following his battle with coronavirus, a senior government minister said Sunday, but faced criticism for being "missing in action" at the beginning of the outbreak.

Wuhan Zall, the Chinese Super League team from the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, made an emotional return to the city after more than three months torn from their families.