The death toll from the virus soared past 109,000 this weekend, with more than 1.7 million reported infections globally.
The United States was quickly emerging as a hotspot as well, and on Saturday marked its own grim landmark: more than 20,000 dead, out of around half a million infected.
The US now has the highest death toll and the most cases out of any country in the world.
Roughly 2,000 deaths a day were reported for the last four days in a row, the largest number in and around New York City. Even that is viewed as understated, as New York is still figuring out how best to include a surge in deaths at home in its official statistics.
As the death toll has mounted, President Donald Trump mulled when the country might begin to see a return to normality.
The Trump administration sees May 1 as a potential date for easing the restrictions, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, said on Sunday.
New government data shows a summer surge in infections if stay-at-home orders are lifted after only 30 days, according to projections first reported by the New York Times and confirmed by a Department of Homeland Security official.
China's Heilongjiang province becomes new battleground for COVID-19
China's northeast Heilongjiang province which borders Russia has become the new battleground against the coronavirus as authorities reported the highest number of new daily cases in nearly six weeks, driven by infected travellers from overseas.
China fears a rise in imported cases could spark a second wave of COVID-19 and push the country back into a state of near paralysis.
A total of 108 new coronavirus cases were reported in mainland China on Sunday, up from 99 a day earlier and marking the highest number of cases since 143 infections were reported on March 5.
The National Health Commission said 98 of the new cases were imported, a new record. A total of 49 Chinese nationals who entered Heilongjiang province from Russia tested positive.
Though the number of daily infections across China have dropped sharply from the height of the epidemic in February, China has seen the daily toll creep higher after hitting a trough on March 12 because of the rise in imported cases.
Chinese cities near the border with Russia are tightening border controls and imposing stricter quarantines in response to influx of infected patients from the country.
Europe, hardest-hit continent
Europe is by far the hardest-hit continent and on Sunday marked a grave milestone with more than 75,000 dead, according to an AFP tally.
As virus-tinged Easter celebrations were held worldwide, leaders in some hard-hit countries expressed cautious optimism the number of deaths and infections could be starting to peak.
Spain saw its daily death toll drop for three days straight -- but on Sunday reported a slight spike again with 619 fresh fatalities. And though Italy was nearing the 20,000 dead mark, its daily death toll and rate of new infections has started to level off.
In France, newly reported coronavirus deaths fell by one-third from Friday to 635 on Saturday.
In Britain, the death toll continued to mount and fatalities are likely to soon top 10,000.
Virus-stricken Prime Minister Boris Johnson was released from hospital Sunday after he was admitted for coronavirus last Sunday, and spent three days in intensive care.
There were worrying signs the virus could be taking hold in new -- and vulnerable -- parts of the world, from the crowded slums of Mexico City, Nairobi and Mumbai to conflict hotspots in the Middle East.
Conflict-wracked Yemen reported its first case last week, sparking dire warnings from aid workers about the burden an outbreak could have on an already ravaged healthcare system.
And in Mumbai's crowded Dharavi slum -- one of Asia's biggest -- more than 43 cases were confirmed.
Many experts and the World Health Organization are cautioning countries against lifting lockdown measures too quickly to avoid a second wave of infections.
