Coronavirus: Confirmed Global cases pass one Million

More than a million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University - another grim milestone as the world grapples with the spreading pandemic.

Coronavirus: Confirmed Global cases pass one Million
Confirmed Global cases pass one Million

Nearly 53,000 people have died and more than 210,000 have recovered, according to the US university's figures.

The US has the most cases, and more than 1,000 died there in the past day.

The disease, Covid-19, first emerged in central China three months ago. 

Though the tally kept by Johns Hopkins records one million confirmed cases, the actual number is thought to be much higher.

It took a month and a half for the first 100,000 cases to be registered. A million was reached after a doubling in cases over the past week. 

Nearly a quarter of cases have been registered in the United States, while Europe accounts for around half. 

The pandemic is taking a huge economic toll: an extra 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefit last week.

 

 

What's the latest?

The US has reported 1,169 deaths in 24 hours - the highest daily death toll of any country so far.

Earlier, Spain said 950 people had died in a day, which is a record number for Europe in this outbreak. 

The number of confirmed Spanish cases rose from 102,136 on Wednesday to 110,238 - an 8% rise that is similar to the rate recorded in previous days. Authorities believe the virus is now peaking and say they expect to see a drop in figures in the days ahead.

 

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"We continue with an increase of around 8%. This points, as we have already seen, to a stabilisation in the data that we're registering," said María José Sierra, from the Spanish health ministry's emergency co-ordination unit.

Spain, the worst-hit nation after Italy in terms of deaths, has also lost nearly 900,000 jobs since mid-March.

 

BBC