Global coronavirus infections nears 220,000 official toll
The number of novel coronavirus cases globally stood at 217,510 with 9,020 deaths, across 157 countries and territories at 1100 GMT Thursday, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources.
An Indonesian Red Cross official wearing a protective suit sprays disinfectant at a school building in Jakarta, Indonesia, 16 March 2020. According to media reports, the governor of Jakarta shut down schools for two weeks starting 16 March 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic crisis. Indonesia confirmed 21 new cases of the most recently discovered coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 117, with five deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus. Picture: EPA-EFE/MAST IRHAM
Since 1900 GMT on Wednesday there were 236 new deaths reported and 8,015 new cases globally.
The tallies, using data collected by AFP offices from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), take into account the fact that criteria for counting victims and coronavirus screening practices vary from country to country.
China — excluding Hong Kong and Macau — where the outbreak emerged in late December, has to date declared 80,928 cases, including 3,245 deaths, with 69,601 people recovered. The country declared 34 new cases and eight new fatalities since Wednesday.
Outside China, there have been 5,775 deaths by 1000 GMT Thursday — 228 new fatalities — out of 136,590 cases, of which 7,981 were new.
The worst-hit nation after China is Italy with a total of 2,978 deaths (35,713 cases), Iran with 1,284 fatalities (17,361 cases), Spain with 598 deaths (13,716 cases) and France with 264 deaths (9,134 cases).
Since 1700 GMT Wednesday, Pakistan, Russia, Costa Rica and Mexico confirmed their first deaths. Mauritius, Barbados, Zambia, Fiji, the Bahamas, El Salvador and Nicaragua all reported their first cases.
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