text: Tough measures rolled out across Europe to stem virus spread
  By Tanya Willmer and Jenny Vaughan, with Hazel Ward in Madrid and AFP bureaus
  A worker disinfects the interior of a public bus in the capital of Slovakia. By VLADIMIR SIMICEK (AFP/File)
  Countries across the globe went on heightened virus alert on Friday, sealing borders and cancelling top-flight cultural and sporting events in a frenzied bid to slow the ballooning pandemic.
  Financial markets endured a rollercoaster ride after a week of spectacular losses triggered by fears the outbreak will lead to a worldwide economic recession.
  The death toll jumped over 5,000 on Friday as the total number of cases topped 135,000, according to an AFP tally based on official sources.
  World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared that Europe was now the epicentre of COVID-19, describing it as a "tragic milestone".
  Spain, Italy and Iran -- which have emerged as virus hotspots outside China -- all clocked a dramatic rise in cases and fatalities in the past 24 hours, while infections were reported in Kenya and Ethiopia, the first in east Africa.
  Global spread of the coronavirus. By (AFP)
  The virus has also torn up the sporting and cultural calendar, with top-flight events from Broadway to English Premier League football scrapped.
  And the outbreak reached new heights with a slew of public figures from Hollywood actors to politicians and even the Canadian first lady falling ill with the infection.
  Markets swung wildly on Friday over the coronavirus. By Bryan R. Smith (AFP)
  South Korea -- once grappling with the largest outbreak outside China -- saw newly recovered patients exceed fresh infections for the first time and the lowest number of new cases for three weeks.
  Spain declared a state of alert after its infections raced past 3,000, Switzerland and Germany announced school closures, and Ukraine said it would seal its borders to foreigners as it confirmed its first death.
  France -- the world's most visited country -- has also ordered schools and universities closed until further notice and announced it was banning gatherings of more 100 people.
  People rush to buy food and supplies in a supermarket before quarantine hits in Bogota, Colombia. By Daniel MUNOZ (AFP)
  President Emmanuel Macron said it was "the worst health crisis in France in a century".
  But European and US stocks and oil prices recovered on what analysts said were hopes of a US stimulus package.
  The virus is also weighing on daily life. Shops, squares and cafes normally packed with people are deserted in Italy, which has imposed nationwide lockdown measures never-before-seen in peacetime.
  Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie are in self-imposed quarantine. By GEOFF ROBINS (AFP/File)
  The English Premier League became the latest high-profile casualty, suspending all fixtures until April 4, while the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was cancelled just hours before the action was due to start.
  The Masters tournament, the season's first major golf championship, has been postponed too.
  The start of India's Premier League -- the world's most lucrative cricket competition -- has also been delayed, while the NBA basketball league in the United States is shut down for 30 days.
  The virus has placed a major question mark over the Tokyo Olympics, with Trump saying "maybe they postpone it for a year", sparking furious denials from officials in the Japanese capital.
  He later praised Tokyo's Olympic preparations and their "magnificent" venue on Twitter, adding there were "lots of options".
  Queen Elizabeth II has put off engagements, a move Buckingham Palace said was a "sensible precaution and for practical reasons".
  Britain also announced it was cancelling local elections in May, in contrast with France which plans to go ahead with similar polls on Sunday.
  With national authorities warning large gatherings should be avoided during the outbreak that the WHO has officially classified as a pandemic -- entertainment venues like Disneyland have been closed and the curtain this week also came down on Broadway.
  Ted Levitt, a 63-year-old pensioner came to New York from Maryland with his daughter to watch "Hamilton" and thought the measures were overblown as he learned the show was cancelled.