Coronavirus worldwide death toll tops 8,000

International tally shows more than 200,000 people have tested positive

The global death toll of coronavirus has risen to more than 8,000.

Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 200,000, according to new figures from Johns Hopkins University.

Their international tally found that more than 82,000 people who had been diagnosed with coronavirus – a flu-like disease that can turn into pneumonia – have recovered so far.

The Johns Hopkins Centre for Systems Science and Engineering found that the countries with the most confirmed cases were China, Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany – with the first four joining France in having the greatest number of coronavirus patient deaths.

Covid-19 – a flu-like disease which can turn into pneumonia – was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation last week.

Since the outbreak started towards the end of last year, people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in more than 160 countries and territories.

The rate of infections in China – where the virus originated in the central city of Wuhan – is slowing down, with 99.9 per cent of new cases in the last week being reported elsewhere in the world, according to a Reuters tally.

Some countries have gone into lockdown as they work to combat the spread of the disease, including Italy – Europe’s worst-hit country – and Spain.

People in the UK have been urged to avoid all non-essential travel, going into the office and to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres in the fight against the outbreak.

The number of confirmed cases in Britain stands at nearly 2,000, according to figures released on Tuesday.

Seventy-one people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in the UK to date.

Additional reporting by agencies