Germany fights virus as world deaths pass 1 million

The worldwide number of dead from the coronavirus pandemic has eclipsed 1 million.

The milestone, recorded by Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday, comes more than nine months into a crisis that has devastated the global economy, tested world leaders' resolve, pitted science against politics and forced multitudes to change the way they live, learn and work.

Residents of the German city of Cologne on Monday seemed relaxed despite rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the country, with many not wearing face masks on the streets.

However, there were also long queues to get tested at mobile centres set up near the city's main train station.

Official figures released Monday show almost 1,192 confirmed infections in the past 24 hours, with the actual number likely to be higher due to reporting delays over the weekend.

While some regions have seen few new cases, others particularly large cities have recorded a sharp increase.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is scheduled to meet Tuesday with the governors of Germany's 16 states to discuss which measures are needed to cope with the pandemic going into the fall.

The country has managed better than many of its neighbours to contain the spread of the virus and keep the mortality rate low.

According to official figures, there have been 285,332 confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany since the start of the outbreak, and 9,460 deaths.