BREAKING: Coronavirus Cases Hits 1 Million Worldwide

Global coronavirus cases have topped one million as the pandemic explodes in the US and the death toll continues to climb in Italy and Spain, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The virus has killed more than 51,000 across the world with the largest number of deaths in Italy, followed by Spain and the US.

The first 100,000 cases were reported in around 55 days and the first 500,000 in 76 days. Cases doubled to one million within the past eight days.

Total cases reported by Thursday grew 10 percent from a day earlier, the first time the rate has hit double digits since the virus took hold outside China.

There are 117 countries and territories that have reported over 100 cases, 50 with outbreaks of over 1,000 and seven that have reported 50,000 or more COVID-19 cases, mainly in Europe.

The global fatality rate is now over 5 percent of all reported cases, with countries including the UK, the US, and Spain reporting a spike in fatalities over recent days.

Around 22 percent of total cases have been reported by the US, while Italy and Spain have reported 11 percent of global cases.

China, where the virus emerged in December, has reported 8 percent of total cases globally as the epicentre of the pandemic moved to Europe and the US.

Europe together accounts for over half of cases and more than 70 percent of deaths linked to the virus.

Countries in Southern Europe with higher older age demographics have been hit particularly hard.

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