More than one billion people have been asked to stay home in more than 50 countries and territories around the world, with Greece becoming the latest country to impose mandatory confinement measures.
France is preparing to extend the confinement of its population beyond the end of March, and draft emergency measures adopted at the weekend will allow employers to impose a week’s paid leave on confined workers.
The Spanish government plans to extend its confinement to April 11.
In Britain, where schools, pubs and cinemas are closed, a draft law giving emergency powers to fight against the coronavirus is up for examination on Monday and the government plans to take over financially privatised rail companies.
Moscow‘s mayor has ordered retired people to remain in confinement or go to their holiday homes.
Saudi Arabia has declared a night-time curfew for three weeks.
Stock markets dived again in Europe and Asia after US lawmakers failed to agree a trillion-dollar emergency package and amid a host of profit warnings.
European aircraft manufacturer Airbus cancels plans to pay a divided to its shareholders for 2019 and resumed limited production in Spain and France.
Overnight, the International Olympic Committee also shifted its tone on the Games, set to open on July 24, saying it would step up planning for different scenarios, including postponement.
At least 15,189 deaths have been recorded since the virus first emerged in December, according to an AFP tally compiled at 1100 GMT on Monday based on official sources.
There have been more than 341,300 infections reported in 174 countries and territories.
The worst affected countries after Italy and China are Spain with 2,182 deaths (33,089 cases), Iran with 1,812 deaths (23,049 cases), France with 674 deaths (16,018 cases) and the US with 471 deaths (35,224 cases).
China has started the first phase of a clinical trial for a novel coronavirus vaccine.
Russia has started to test a vaccine on animals.
At least seven European countries on Sunday launched clinical trials to test four experimental treatments against the Coronavirus, involving a total of 3,200 patients.
