Traditional tourist magnets like London are eerily quiet. Presidential nominating contests in the US are being pushed back, and a $US1 trillion-plus US economic rescue package is being negotiated.

Organisers of the Tokyo Olympics are facing resistance from athletes who want the games postponed.

Angola has announced its first coronavirus case, bringing to at least 40 the number of African countries to report an infection.

New York state now has more than 10,000 cases and is scrambling for medical equipment and hospital beds.

Spain now has the third-highest number of infections worldwide. The first two cases of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip have been discovered.

WHAT'S HAPPENING:

* Negotiators from Congress and the White House were holding talks on crafting a $US1 trillion-plus economic rescue package. The sweeping aid package of paychecks for suddenly jobless Americans, money for hospitals and aid to industry is all but certain to swell far beyond the initial $US1 trillion price tag. Combined with other actions by the Federal Reserve, it could pump $US2 trillion into the economy, officials say.

* The Tokyo Olympics have reached a critical phase. Japanese organisers and IOC President Thomas Bach say the games will open July 24 at the $US1.4 billion national stadium in Tokyo. But athletes are complaining: They can't train, qualifying events have been cancelled and the chaos is sure to favor some over others. Giant questions remain about bringing 11,000 athletes from 200 countries together in four months.

* Africa's cases of the coronavirus rose above 1,000 on Saturday. Angola announced its first cases, meaning at least 40 of Africa's 54 countries are now affected. Congo reported its first death and Burkina Faso reported two new ones - that country now has the most virus deaths of any country in sub-Saharan Africa. The West African nation also has one of the highest caseloads on the continent with 64.

* In London, tourist sites were eerily empty a day after the government ordered the closure of all bars, restaurants, movie theatres and other places where people congregate. There were long lines outside supermarkets.

* In the US, at least 13 states have postponed voting and more delays are possible as health officials warn that social distancing and other measures to contain the virus might be in place for weeks, if not months. Primaries scheduled for Georgia, Ohio, Maryland, Indiana, Louisiana, Connecticut and Kentucky have all been postponed to May or June.

* Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, have tested negative for the coronavirus after a member of the vice president's staff had tested positive for the virus.

* New York is desperately searching for medical supplies and scouting field hospital locations in New York City and its suburbs. Governor Andrew Cuomo confirms that the state has more than 10,000 coronavirus cases. Flights to New York City-area airports and to Philadelphia were briefly suspended because of staffing issues.

* Spain now has the third-highest number of infections worldwide. On Saturday it reported almost 5000 new cases in the past day, bringing the total to nearly 25,000. The death toll rose to 1326, up from 1002 Friday. Spanish health authorities have acknowledged that some intensive care units in the hardest-hit areas are close to their limit.

* The Palestinian Health Ministry has announced the first two cases of the coronavirus in the Gaza Strip. The cases were for two people who returned recently from Pakistan. The discovery increases fears of a potential outbreak in the crowded enclave.

* The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the global pandemic was first detected, went a fourth consecutive day without reporting any new or suspected cases of the virus. Elsewhere, the country reported 46 new cases over the previous 24 hours, 45 of them coming from overseas. Another six deaths were also reported, four in Wuhan, one in the surrounding province of Hubei and one elsewhere. China has recorded a total of 81,054 cases and 3261 deaths.

Australian Associated Press