The number of confirmed coronavirus cases globally has risen to 304,544, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center count.
The United States is now third in the world in terms of the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, with a total of 25,493 COVID-19 infections and more than 300 deaths from the disease registered. A total of 171 have recovered.
The state of New York remains the hotbed of coronavirus in the country, where the number of cases has hit 8,000, while Washington state is worst in terms of the death toll.
At the same time, China, where COVID-19 originated, has seen a downward trend in the number of people infected with the disease. As of today, the country has registered a total of 81,321 cases, 3,260 people have died, and 71,860 patients have been discharged from hospitals.
Most of the coronavirus cases China is reporting now are imported.
As the number of new cases per day has declined in China, the epicentre of the virus has apparently shifted to Europe, namely to Italy, where there have been 53,578 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 4,825 fatalities. Over 6,000 people have recovered. The northern province of Bergamo remains the virus hotbed in the country, with over 5,000 people infected.
To curb the further spread of the virus, the Italian government has initiated a series of measures, including imposing a nationwide quarantine since 9 March and canceling all mass activities.
Spain, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also remain among the countries most affected by COVID-19 in Europe.