US suffers record death toll

• Global infection rate now stands at more than 1.7m
• Trump was considering ways to re-open world's biggest economy

The United States became the first country to report more than 2,000 coronavirus deaths in a single day, marking a grim milestone as billions around the world celebrated the Easter holiday weekend under lockdown from home.

The global death toll from the virus surged past 103,000 on Friday, with the United States quickly becoming the epicentre of the pandemic that first emerged in China late last year.

Europe has so far shouldered the majority of all deaths and infections -- though there were signs of hope the curve could be starting to flatten in some of the hardest-hit countries.

On Friday, the United States reported 2,108 new deaths, the highest daily toll out of any country since the outbreak was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December.

With more than half a million reported infections, the United States already has more coronavirus cases than anywhere else in the world.

The global infection rate now stands at more than 1.7 million, though with many countries only testing the most serious cases the numbers are likely far higher.

But President Donald Trump said that with the US infection trajectory "near the peak" and social distancing working well, he was considering ways to re-open the world's biggest economy as soon as possible.

He acknowledged the risk of higher death tolls if businesses restart too soon -- after the World Health Organization on Friday cautioned countries against lifting lockdown measures too quickly.

"But you know what? Staying at home leads to death also," Trump added, pointing to the massive economic suffering for millions of Americans.

It is unclear when that will be possible, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo saying millions in the state -- the hardest hit in the US -- will have to be tested before it can reopen.

Easter weekend kicked off in near-empty churches around the world as parishioners remained locked in their homes.

More than four billion people -- over half the world's population -- are confined to their homes from New York to Naples to New Delhi as governments scramble to contain the pandemic's deadly march across the globe.

Pope Francis was due to livestream his Easter Vigil from an empty St Peter's Basilica later yesterday, after he presided over an empty Good Friday Service to kick off the holiday weekend.

The pontiff was praised by Italy's prime minister for his "gesture of responsibility" to observe Easter in private.

"We will remember this spring as the one in which, for the first time in history, the pope presided over the general audiences and conducted the Angelus (prayer) by livestream," Giuseppe Conte wrote in Italy's Catholic daily Avvenire.