Curfews as US shuts down to fight coronavirus

The United States has began restricting citizens' movements in a major escalation of attempts to contain the deadly coronavirus pandemic, as President Donald Trump warned the crisis could last well into the summer.

New Jersey state and San Francisco announced curfews and Trump asked Americans on Monday to restrict gatherings to groups of fewer than 10 as the US dramatically ramped up efforts to stop the spread of the fast-moving outbreak.

Trump acknowledged for the first time that the US economy "may be" heading into a recession because of the pandemic that has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide as Wall Street stocks had their worst day since 1987, plunging almost 13 percent.

As America followed European nations in shutting down schools, public buildings, cinemas, restaurants and bars, Trump suggested the crisis would last several months at least in the United States.

"So it seems to me that if we do a really good job... people are talking about July, August, something like that," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"So it could be right in that period of time where it, I say, it washes through."