Coronavirus death toll crosses 31,000

Europe records more than two-thirds of deaths | 1,04,596 cases and 3,761 deaths in Asia

Paris, March 29

The worldwide number of officially confirmed fatalities from the novel coronavirus rose to 31,412 on Sunday, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources.

More than two-thirds of the deaths from coronavirus have now been recorded in Europe.

Over 667,090 declared cases have been registered in 183 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. Of these cases, at least 134,700 are now considered recovered.

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

Many countries are only testing cases that require hospitalisation.

Italy, which recorded its first coronavirus death in February, has to date declared 10,023 fatalities, with 92,472 infections and 12,384 people recovered.

Like Italy, Spain has more fatalities than China with 6,528, as well as 78,747 infections.

China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau, has to date declared 3,295 deaths and 81,394 cases, with 74,971 recoveries.

The other worst-hit countries are Iran with 2,640 deaths and 38,309 cases, and France with 2,314 deaths and 37,575 cases.

The US has the highest number of infected people with 124,686 diagnosed cases, 2,191 deaths and 2,612 recoveries. Cases there have soared from 41,511 on Monday, making it the country with the fastest progression rate.

Since 1900 GMT Saturday, Uruguay, New Zealand and Mali have announced their first deaths.

By continent, Europe has listed 3,63,766 cases and 22,259 deaths to date, Asia 1,04,596 cases and 3,761 deaths, the Middle East 46,596 cases and 2,718 deaths, the US and Canada together 1,30,120 cases with 2,250 deaths, Latin America and the Caribbean 13,544 cases with 274 deaths, Africa 4,267 cases with 134 deaths and Oceania 4,208 cases with 16 deaths. AFP

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108-yr-old UK’s oldest victim

London, March 29

A 108-year-old woman, who survived the two World Wars and the outbreak of the Spanish flu, died within hours of testing positive for coronavirus, becoming the UK’s oldest fatality due to the disease, a media report said. Hilda Churchill had been self-isolating at the Kenyon Lodge care home in Salford, Greater Manchester, for more than a week, but began showing minor symptoms three or four days ago, said the London-based Metro newspaper in the report on Saturday. Her family was hoping that she would pull through in time to celebrate her 109th birthday on April 5. But she passed away on Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after she tested positive for the coronavirus.

Trudeau’s wife gets ‘all clear’

Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau said on Sunday that she has received clearance from her doctor after she was tested positive for the novel coronavirus earlier this month. “I am feeling so much better and have received the all clear from my physician and Ottawa Public Health,” Global News Canada quoted the First Lady as saying in a Facebook post.