Global death toll crosses 15,000

Paris : The number of deaths around the world from the novel coronavirus cases stood at 15,433, according to a tally compiled by AFP on Monday from official sources.

More than 358,803 declared cases have been registered in 174 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December.

The tallies, using data collected by AFP offices from national authorities and information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), likely reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.

Many countries are now only testing cases that require hospitalisation. Italy, which recorded its first coronavirus death in February, now has more fatalities than China with 5,476, as well as having 59,138 declared infections with 7,024 recoveries.

China -- excluding Hong Kong and Macau -- has to date declared 81,093 cases, including 3,270 deaths, with 72,703 people recovered. It reported 39 new cases and nine new fatalities since Sunday.

The third worst hit country is Spain with 2,182 fatalities and 33,089 cases, followed by Iran with 1,812 fatalities and 23,049 cases, France with 674 deaths and 16,018 cases, and the United States with 471 deaths and 35,224 cases.

Since 1900 GMT Sunday, the Czech Republic, Nigeria and Montenegro announced their first deaths. Papua New Guinea and Syria reported their first cases.

By continent, Europe has listed 172,238 cases and 9,197 deaths to date, Asia 97,783 cases and 3,539 deaths, the US and Canada together 36,554 cases with 490 deaths, the Middle East 26,688 cases and 1,841 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 5,130 cases with 65 deaths, Africa 1,479 cases with 49 deaths and Oceania 1,433 cases with eight deaths.