Global coronavirus cases now top 750,000

By Erdogan Cagatay Zontur

ANKARA (AA) – Just days after hitting half a million, the number of coronavirus cases worldwide crossed the 755,000 mark on Monday, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The virus, also known as COVID-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 177 countries and regions around the globe, with over 36,000 deaths worldwide.

More than 158,000 people diagnosed with the virus have so far recovered globally.

Italy, Spain, China and Iran continue to be the hardest-hit countries in terms of death counts, but the U.S. tops the list of the highest number of confirmed cases – 132,637 – a number that foreshadows a possible spike in casualties within weeks, according to epidemiology experts.

Italy has seen the most deaths with 11,591 fatalities out of more than 101,000 cases, while Spain has reported 7,340 deaths and over 85,000 confirmed cases. China, ground zero of the virus, followed Spain with over 3,300 deaths and over 82,100 cases.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Iran reached 2,757 and the total number of cases in the country surpassed 41,400.

Many countries have restricted flights from the worst-affected countries and imposed lockdowns as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic and Europe its new epicenter.