Global coronavirus death toll passes 400,000

More than a quarter of fatalities are in the US

The global death toll for Covid-19 has topped 400,000, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University.

As of Sunday morning, more than a quarter of fatalities have occurred in the US, where around 109,800 people who tested positive for the virus have died.

Meanwhile, the UK had the second-highest death toll in the world at 40,548, according to the university’s figures.

The number of people who have been infected with the coronavirus globally stood at around 6.9 million on Sunday morning, while the number of deaths worldwide was 400,121.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University said the 400,000 milestone was reached on Sunday, although that figure is still considered to be an underestimate because many who have died have not been tested for the coronavirus.

The total was passed a day after the Brazilian government stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections.

Brazil, which has been battling with an escalating Covid-19 crisis, had the fourth-highest death toll in the world at around 35,900 on Sunday, according to the university’s global count.

At 1.9 million, the US had the most confirmed coronavirus cases, followed by Brazil, where more than 670,000 people are known to have been infected with the virus, and Russia, where around 467,00 cases have been recorded.

On Sunday, the UK had the fourth-largest number of infections in the world at 286,294, according to Johns Hopkins University’s global count.

The World Health Organisation warned earlier this week that the coronavirus pandemic is “not over” after some countries started relaxing restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus.

“On upticks, yes we have seen in countries around the world – I’m not talking specifically about Europe – when the lockdowns ease, when the social distancing measures ease, people sometimes interpret this as ‘OK, it’s over,’” Margaret Harris, World Health Organisation spokesperson, told a United Nations briefing.

“It’s not over,” she said. “It’s not over until there is no virus anywhere in the world.”

Additional reporting by Associated Press