US President Donald Trump ordered thousands of emergency hospital beds set up at US coronavirus hot spots but a trillion-dollar economic rescue package crashed, as pandemic deaths soared across the globe.

A deadly prison riot in Colombia triggered by concerns over the virus highlighted the deepening sense of panic around the world as unprecedented government containment efforts have failed. The death toll from the virus has surged to more than 15,000, according to an AFP tally, with Europe as the epicenter, but the situation worsening from ­Pacific islands to Africa and the US. 

More than a third of Americans are under various forms of lockdown, including in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, but the number of infections in the US have continued to climb.

Meanwhile a trillion-dollar Senate proposal to revive the US economy crashed Sunday after receiving zero support from Democrats, further traumatising investors who are watching stock markets implode worldwide.

Markets in Asia began Monday in the red as they absorbed the failed US stimulus effort and the barrage of other bad news from across the world over the weekend.

In Europe, Greece imposed a national lockdown and Germany banned gatherings of more than two people.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel went into quarantine at home after being treated by a doctor who had since tested positive for the virus.

Italy's world-worst toll from the pandemic approached 5,500 with another 651 deaths reported on Sunday.

In his weekly prayer, streamed online to avoid attracting crowds, the Pope urged all Italians to follow isolation measures "for the good of us all."

Spain's prime minister said he would ask parliament to extend a 15-day state of emergency, which bars people from leaving home unless absolutely essential, until April 11.

The country recorded close to 400 new fatalities Sunday, bringing the total to 1,720, suggesting the lockdown was failing to be effective.

Residents across France, where the death toll jumped to 562, remained shut in their homes. A curfew was imposed in some regions and the mayor of Paris called for even more drastic confinement measures in a city under lockdown. 

Britain inched toward similar measures as Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the country was a couple of weeks behind registering similar numbers to Italy.