The US death toll, now at more than 9,600, was rapidly closing in on Italy and Spain, the countries with the most fatalities to date.
A slowdown in the number of coronavirus-related deaths calmed investor nerves and increased appetite for riskier assets. However, market volatility levels are still very high.
The March US jobs report comes out later today marking the dawn of the post-outbreak labor market and a clearer picture of the coronavirus economic hit.
The dollar rose for a second straight day as investors, worried about the prospect of a global recession, continued to take shelter in the greenback.
Data showed factory activity across the world contracting sharply due to the coronavirus pandemic led a wider selloff in global stock markets.