Global coronavirus deaths top 86,000

The worldwide number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus pandemic rose to 86,289 on Wednesday, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT from official sources.

More than 1,469,920 declared cases have been registered in 192 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. Of these cases, at least 280,300 are now considered recovered.

The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.

Many countries are only testing the most serious cases.

Since 1900 GMT Tuesday, 6,221 new deaths and 72,738 new cases were recorded worldwide.

The United States recorded the most new deaths over that period, with 1,808. It was followed by Britain with 938, Spain with 757, and Italy with 542.

Italy, which recorded its first death in late February, has had the most fatalities with 17,669, as well as 139,422 infections.

Spain has recorded 14,555 fatalities and 146,690 infections.

The death toll in the United States is now the third highest, at 13,829 for 404,352 infections—the highest number of cases in the world.

France has reported 10,869 deaths and 112,950 infections, followed by Britain with 7,097 deaths and 60,733 cases.

China—excluding Hong Kong and Macau—has to date declared 3,333 deaths and 81,802 cases, with 77,279 recoveries.

Since 1900 GMT Tuesday, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Malta and the US Virgin Isles have announced their first coronavirus-linked deaths.

Europe has listed 772,592 cases and 61,118 deaths to date, the US and Canada together have 423,535 cases with 14,285 deaths, Asia 125,864 cases and 4,409 deaths, the Middle East 89,003 cases and 4,238 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 40,671 cases with 1,612 deaths, Africa 11,119 cases with 571 deaths and Oceania 7,138 cases with 56 deaths.