Global death toll from coronavirus tops 75,000

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 75,000 people worldwide, the majority of them in Europe, since it emerged in China in December, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources at 0945 GMT on Tuesday.

A total of 75,538 deaths have been recorded, including 53,928 in Europe, the continent worst hit by the virus.

The official tallies probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of cases. Many countries are testing only the most serious cases.

Italy, which recorded its first coronavirus death at the end of February, has 16,523 fatalities, followed by Spain with 13,798, the United States with 10,993 and France with 8,911.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1,350,759 cases have been registered around the world, including 708,898 in Europe, 384,947 in the United States and Canada, and 122,348 in Asia.

© 2020 AFP