Iran's president warned that his government was poised to introduce tough new measures against the coronavirus Wednesday as the death toll from one of the world's deadliest outbreaks topped 2,000.

Spain's coronavirus death toll overtook that of China on Wednesday, rising to 3,434 after 738 people died over the past 24 hours, the government said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to address the nation on Wednesday in a rare televised broadcast as authorities scrambled to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Prince Charles, the eldest son and heir to Queen Elizabeth II, is showing mild symptoms of the new coronavirus but "otherwise remains in good health", his office said on Wednesday.

Ethiopia announced Wednesday it would free thousands of inmates from the country's overcrowded prisons as part of a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Deprived of cross-border aid and already low on medical supplies, northeast Syria is grappling with the threat of a virus outbreak that aid groups and officials fear could ravage the region.

Billions in economic aid announced last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help Canadians deal with the coronavirus pandemic hit a snag Tuesday when opposition parties rejected giving his minority government unprecedented spending powers.

The Senate and White House have reached a deal on a $2 trillion stimulus package for the US economy and millions of Americans ravaged by the coronavirus crisis, the top Republican lawmaker said early Wednesday.

The lockdown imposed last week in France to battle the coronavirus should last at least six weeks in total, a committee of scientific experts advising the government on the outbreak said on Tuesday.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday reported its first death from the new coronavirus as the total number of infections spiked to 767, according to the health ministry.