PARIS, March 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The number of deaths around the world linked to the new coronavirus has topped 7,000, after Italy announced a new surge in fatalities
A total of 7,007 people have died, with a 175,536 infections recorded globally.
China has the highest number of fatalities at 3,213, followed by Italy with 2,158 deaths and almost 28,000 cases.
Since 1700 GMT on Sunday there were 587 new deaths reported and 11,597 new cases globally.
China — excluding Hong Kong and Macau — where the epidemic was declared in late December, has to date declared 80,860 cases, including 3,213 deaths, with 67,490 people recovered. The country declared 16 new cases and 14 new fatalities since Sunday.
Outside China, there have been 3,794 deaths by 1700 GMT Monday — 573 new fatalities since Sunday 1700 GMT — out of 94,676 cases, of which 11,581 were new.
The worst-hit nation after China is Italy with 2,158 deaths (27,980 cases), Iran with 853 fatalities (14,991 cases), Spain with 309 deaths (9,191 cases) and France with 127 deaths (5,423 cases).
Since 1700 GMT Sunday, Portugal, Bahrain, Hungary, Guatemala and Luxembourg have announced their first fatalities. Trinidad and Tobago, Liberia and Tanzania have diagnosed their first cases.
By 1700 GMT Monday, Asia had listed 92,260 cases and 3,337 deaths, Europe 61,073 cases and 2,711 deaths, the Middle East 16,530 cases and 869 deaths, the United States and Canada 4,126 cases and 70 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 815 cases and seven deaths, Africa 374 cases and eight deaths, and Oceania 358 cases and five deaths.
