US eclipses China and Italy in virus cases as death toll passes 24,000

The United States on Thursday reported 17,116 cases in the past 24 hours and topped the world in the number of infections with 85,377 confirmed cases as the number of infections worldwide reached 531,806.

The virus has spread to 199 countries and territories killing 24,073 people since it first emerged in Wuhan on Dec 31 last year. A total of 123,942 coronavirus patients have recovered so far.

The death toll from the COVID-19 disease has surged to 8,215 in Italy with 80,589 cases while China has 81,340 known cases. A total of 3,292 people died in China.

Chinese health authorities have reported 55 new cases of the virus. Of them, 54 were imported cases in recent arrival from overseas.

New York is the hotspot of the US with 38,977 cases and 466 deaths. The death toll in the US has reached 1,295.

Spain is the fourth worst-hit country in the world as the death toll soared to 4,365. The country has reported 57,786.

Likewise, France has reported 1,696 deaths and 29,155 confirmed cases.

In West Asia, Iran is the most affected country with reported 29,406 cases with 2,234 deaths.

Source: worldometer