Global confirmed cases of new coronavirus passes 1 million mark

The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus has passed the 1 million mark globally, while the death toll is now above 50,000 people, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

The United States has the most cases, with more than 20 per cent of the total from around the world, followed by Italy, Spain and China. Germany comes in fifth with nearly 80,000 confirmed cases.

Italy has recorded more than 13,000 deaths, while Spain’s death toll in the pandemic has topped 10,000. The US, where the serious outbreak began later than in Europe, has more than 5,000 deaths so far.

The landmark tally comes as almost every country has reported confirmed cases of the virus and many have imposed strict measures to slow the outbreak.

However, testing remains an issue, meaning the real number of cases is likely higher.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global pandemic on March 11 after the virus was first reported in Wuhan, China in December and spread from there.

Since then the pandemic has roiled global markets, upended the lives of hundreds of millions of people and created shortages of medical supplies around the world.

Read also: Scientists in Germany working around the clock on coronavirus testing

The epicentre of the virus has shifted from China to Europe and now to the United States.

In the US, models forecast the virus may kill at least 100,000 people as the vast majority of the country has been ordered to stay at home and limit social contacts.

After draconian lockdown measures, China is reporting little to no new infections, however, the United States has cast doubt on Beijing’s tallies. (dpa)