Paris: The United States tops half a million reported infections on Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
It also becomes the first country in the world to register more than 2,000 deaths from the virus in a single day, bringing its total death toll to more than 18,000.
Mass graves
Unclaimed victims are being buried in unmarked mass graves on Hart Island in New York, officials confirm.
Authorities have used the site for more than 150 years to bury unclaimed bodies, unidentified people and residents whose families could not afford a private burial.
The New York Times reports that around 25 people are being buried there a day. Before the outbreak it was 25 a week.
104,000 dead worldwide
Some 104,000 people have died worldwide from the coronavirus in 193 countries and territories, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT Saturday based on official sources. There have been more than 1,700,770 reported infections.
Italy has had the highest death toll with 18,849, followed by the US, Spain with 16,353, France with 13,197 and Britain with 8,958.
Spain registers a fall in its daily death toll for a third consecutive day with 510 people dying in the last 24 hours.
Confinement goes on
The World Health Organization warns that prematurely lifting lockdown restrictions could spark a dangerous resurgence of the disease.
Turkey orders citizens to stay home for 48 hours across 31 cities including Istanbul and Ankara, starting midnight Friday.
Easter on screen
Celebrations for Easter weekend around the world kick off as billions of people are stuck indoors, traditional ceremonies are cancelled and churches lie empty.
Pope Francis will livestream his Easter message from the seclusion of his private library.
Flights postponed
Latin America’s biggest airline, the Brazilian-Chilean group LATAM, announces it is suspending all international flights until May.
Apple and Google join forces
Google and Apple announce they have teamed up for a joint initiative to develop a coronavirus smartphone “contact tracing” tool that could potentially alert people when they have crossed paths with an infected person.
