More than a million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University – another grim milestone as the world grapples with the spreading pandemic.
More than 51,000 people have died and more than 208,000 have recovered, according to the university’s figures.
The US accounts for the most cases; Italy the highest death toll.
The disease, Covid-19, first emerged in central China three months ago.
Though the tally kept by Johns Hopkins records one million confirmed cases, the actual number is thought to be much higher.
It took a month and a half for the first 100,000 cases to be registered. A million was reached after a doubling in cases over the past week.
Nearly a quarter of cases have been registered in the United States, while Europe accounts for around half.
On Thursday, Spain said 950 people had died in the previous 24 hours – thought to be the highest number of deaths of any country in one day.
The number of confirmed Spanish cases rose from 102,136 on Wednesday to 110,238 – an 8% rise that is similar to the rate recorded in previous days. Authorities believe the virus is now peaking and say they expect to see a drop in figures in the days ahead.
“We continue with an increase of around 8%. This points, as we have already seen, to a stabilisation in the data that we’re registering,” María José Sierra, from the Spanish health ministry’s emergency co-ordination unit, said at a news conference.
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Spain, the second-worst hit nation in terms of deaths, has also lost nearly 900,000 jobs, according to the BBC.
The US on Thursday said it saw a record 6.6 million new unemployment benefit claims.
Thursday’s other coronavirus developments:
The Zaandam cruise ship, with dozens of ill passengers on board, docked in Florida after several South American countries refused to accept it
Russia’s President Putin extended the period for Russians to stay away from work to the end of April
Belgium’s death toll passed 1,000
In Iran more than 3,100 deaths were officially confirmed
Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte warned people they could be shot dead if they caused trouble over restrictions, saying the police and the military had the authority to shoot if their lives were in danger
Dharavi, a huge slum in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, reported its first death linked to the coronavirus. More than a million people live in extremely overcrowded conditions in Dharavi, believed to be the biggest slum in Asia.
