A picture taken on Sunday at the place du Capitole in the center of Toulouse, southern France showing chairs piled up as cafes and restaurants are closed amid the spread of COVID-19 Photo: AFP

Spain and France have imposed sweeping restrictions to fight against the spread of the coronavirus, as US President Donald Trump tested negative for the disease that has infected more than 162,000 people worldwide.

Following Italy, Spain on Saturday imposed a near-total nationwide lockdown, banning people from leaving home except to go to work, get medical care or buy food.

The disease has so far claimed more than 190 lives in Spain, making it the worst-hit European country after Italy. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's wife is among those infected.

France meanwhile ordered the closure of restaurants, bars, cinemas and nightclubs but said food shops, pharmacies, banks and tobacconists would remain open and local elections will go ahead on Sunday.

In a sign of growing alarm, the US extended a travel ban imposed on European nations to the UK and Ireland, starting midnight on Monday.

The restrictions threw airports across the US into disarray, with incoming travelers forced to wait hours for medical screenings.

Trump had agreed to a virus test after he came in to contact with several members of a Brazilian presidential delegation who have since tested positive.

"One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation at Mar-a-Lago, the President remains symptom-free," Trump's physician Sean Conley said.

The number of COVID-19 cases worldwide has gone past 162,000 with more than 6,000 deaths, data showed.

A week that saw schools and businesses shut down indefinitely, millions of travelers barred from crossing borders, celebrities and politicians infected and the whole of Italy locked down ended with a flurry of government announcements.

Australia on Sunday announced all arrivals in the country will face a mandatory 14-day self-isolation.

"We are going to have to get used to some changes in the way we live our lives," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, adding the measure will come into effect from midnight (1300 GMT Sunday).

Trump declared a national emergency and announced a $50 billion package, with similar measures being taken by governments from Austria to Canada on Saturday.

European nations ramped up border controls, while Chile has quarantined more than 1,300 people aboard two cruise ships after an elderly Briton aboard one of them tested positive for the coronavirus.

Squares and streets from Milan to Madrid were deserted on Saturday as government calls to stay at home were heeded by most.

Some Italians took to singing to each other from their windows to beat the isolation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed Europe as the epicenter of the pandemic on Friday.