Billions around the world marked Easter Sunday from lockdown at home as the Pope addressed followers from an empty cathedral to urge solidarity in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and the European death toll topped 75,000.

Unprecedented scenes of empty churches emerged from the Vatican to Panama and the Philippines as religious leaders found creative ways to address parishioners marking the holiday weekend from the confines of their homes.

The toll from the virus soared past 110,000 this weekend, with more than 1.7 million reported infections globally. But with only those most serious cases tested, the real number of cases is thought to be much higher.

Europe, by far the hardest-hit continent, on Sunday marked a grim milestone with more than 75,000 dead, though the continent’s worst-hit nation, Italy, reported its lowest death toll in more than three weeks.

Italy sees lowest daily deaths in three weeks:



Italy on Sunday reported its lowest coronavirus death toll in more than three weeks, confirming trends showing that Coronavirus outbreak in Europe’s worst-hit nation had peaked.

The 431 new deaths reported by the civil protection service were the lowest since March 19. Italy’s death total now stands at 19,899, officially second behind the United States.

The number of new cases slowed to 4,092 from a previous 4,694. The number of officially confirmed cases is now 156,363, the third-highest global tally behind those of the United States and Spain.

There were 3,343 people in intensive care on Sunday against 3,381 on Saturday – a ninth consecutive daily decline. Of those originally infected, 34,211 were declared recovered against 32,424 a day earlier.

READ MORE: South Korea reports 91 recovered Coronavirus patients tested positive again.