Yahoo News Global confirmed coronavirus cases reach 2 million
The coronavirus pandemic has reached a new milestone: worldwide confirmed cases have passed 2 million.
According to Johns Hopkins University data, there have also been more than 125,000 deaths and almost 500,000 recoveries.
The real number of infections is likely to be much higher because of the ways countries have been testing for the virus and reporting figures.
The fight against the pandemic continues as a political dispute over the World Health Organization’s (WHO) handling of the crisis rages on.
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US president Donald Trump has stopped funding the WHO and claims it promoted Chinese “disinformation” earlier in the outbreak, allegedly causing the virus to spread further than it otherwise could have done.
“The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable,” he said on Tuesday.
The US funded about 15% of the WHO’s budget last year, paying more than $400m (£319m) into the institution.
But UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned against cutting the organisation’s budget.
“Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he said in a statement.
The Chinese ambassador to the UK, Liu Xiaoming, had previously tweeted to say the world should work together.
Nations across the globe should tackle the pandemic with great solidarity rather than finger-pointing or be mired in conspiracy theories. https://t.co/m67dt8cN1u
— Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) April 5, 2020
There has been criticism over how China has recorded its figures, with claims its outbreak has been underreported.
The US is the worst-affected country in the world, with more than 600,000 confirmed cases and more than 26,000 deaths.
Italy has suffered more than 21,000 deaths and 162,000 cases, while Spain has tallied 18,500 dead and 177,000 confirmed cases.
The UK has more than 98,000 confirmed cases and has recorded more than 12,800 deaths.
Countries across Europe have begun to ease the restrictions on their populations.
Italy, the worst-hit country on the continent in terms of deaths, said it would allow bookstores, stationery shops and children’s clothing shops to reopen from Tuesday.
Austria is set to reopen kindergartens and schools and shops under 400 sq metres, while Denmark is also going to reopen schools.
But the WHO has warned against countries easing up their lockdowns too fast.
“Lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence,” said WHO head Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a virtual press conference.
