Emergency medical personnel carry a patient infected with coronavirus from a military hospital to an ambulance before being transported aboard a medicalized TGV (high-speed train) to hospitals in other French regions on Sunday in Mulhouse, eastern France, amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: AFP

The global coronavirus death toll surged past 32,000 over the weekend as Europe and the US endured their darkest days of the crisis.

A back-flip from US President Donald Trump on quarantining New York highlighted the panic and confusion across many parts of the world in trying to contain the pandemic, which has seen more than a third of humanity placed under unprecedented lockdowns.

More than 32,000 deaths had been reported worldwide by Sunday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, as the virus continued to leave a devastating imprint on nearly every aspect of society: wiping out millions of jobs, overwhelming healthcare services and draining national treasuries.

Officials in some countries have warned that the worst is yet to come.

Trump decided late Saturday against imposing a broad lockdown on New York and its neighbors after a strong pushback from local political leaders and warnings of the panic it could spark.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, asked state residents not to travel except for essential purposes.

Health officials say they fear New York may follow the deadly path charted by Italy, with health professionals exhausted and hospitals desperately short of protective equipment and ventilators.

The US now has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 infections globally with over 124,000 cases, according to the Johns Hopkins tally.

European nations have been harder hit than the US on a per capita basis with over 20,000 deaths - around half in worst-hit Italy. 

Spain, with the world's second-highest toll, added 832 deaths on Saturday for a total of 6,528.

Madrid toughened a nationwide lockdown, halting all non-essential activities, though officials said the epidemic in the country seemed to be nearing a peak. 

Russia said it would close its borders on Monday, despite reporting relatively low levels of the virus. 

More than 680,000 cases of the novel coronavirus have been officially recorded around the world since the outbreak began late last year, according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.

Variations in testing regimes - and delays in some countries in the world - mean the true number is likely far higher.

In France, which has seen close to 2,500 deaths, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned the "battle" was just beginning. 

The British toll passed 1,000 on Saturday while Belgium saw a steep climb in deaths, with 431 recorded on Sunday - up from 353 the day before.

Elsewhere, Iran announced 139 more deaths, and India sealed a dozen villages that had been visited by a guru now known to be infected and a possible "super-spreader." 

South African police used rubber bullets in Johannesburg to enforce social distancing on a crowd queuing for supplies outside a supermarket during a national lockdown.

AFP