COVID-19: Global death toll surpasses 60,000

By Davut Demircan

ANKARA (AA) - The global death toll from coronavirus crossed 60,000 on Saturday, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The virus known as COVID-19, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 181 countries and regions around the globe, while confirmed cases have exceeded 1.1 million.

With the exact number of deaths at 60,115, more than 233,000 people diagnosed with the virus globally have recovered.

Italy, Spain, China, and Iran continue to be the most affected countries.

The U.S. has reported the most number of cases -- more than 278,000 -- with 7,159 fatalities.

Italy has reported the highest number of deaths from the virus with 14,681 fatalities, followed by Spain at 11,744 and France at 6,507.

The U.K. has reported 3,605 deaths, while Iran has reported 3,452.

Many countries have restricted travel from the most affected areas and implemented lockdowns as the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic and Europe the new epicenter.