German Chancellor Angela Merkel says her country must remain "clever and cautious" in handling the coronavirus crisis, as "it's not the end phase but still just the beginning", EDNews.net reports citing BBC.

"We will be with it for a long time," she warned parliament, ahead of an EU video summit on the crisis.

She stressed the need for European cohesion in fighting the virus.

And she said Germany should be ready to "make very different, meaning much higher contributions to the EU budget".

The extra funding should be provided "in a spirit of solidarity" and for a limited time, she said.

She urged "maximum discipline", to avoid stop-start lockdowns.

"We must not waste what has been achieved already," she said, praising the efficiency of Germany's healthcare system and the armed forces' assistance in the national effort.

Her government's decisions in this crisis "have no historical model", she said.

"The question of how we can prevent the virus from overwhelming our health system and subsequently costing the lives of countless people, this question will for a long time be the central question for politics in Germany and Europe."

She said Europe must strengthen its capacity to produce specialised medical kit, instead of depending on global supplies, which are now very stretched.

"I know how difficult the restrictions are, it's a challenge to democracy, it limits our democratic rights," she said, adding that democratic transparency, such as a free press, helped to make the situation tolerable.

"It's amazing how much understanding people have shown for each other," she said. MPs frequently applauded her.

She said Europe must strengthen its capacity to produce specialised medical kit, instead of depending on global supplies, which are now very stretched.

She also called the World Health Organization an indispensable partner in the fight against the virus. President Donald Trump has suspended US funding of the body.