Italy surpasses China in number of coronavirus deaths

Italy has officially surpassed China for the largest number of coronavirus-related deaths after the death toll rose in the last 24 hours by 427 to 3,405.

A total of 2,978 deaths were confirmed on Wednesday after Italy recorded 475 deaths from COVID-19, and the increase of 427 deaths on thursday brings the death toll in Italy to a total of 3,405.

A total 3,245 people have died in China since the virus first emerged there late last year. But Italy has far fewer confirmed cases – 41,035 as of Thursday against 80,907 in China.

Nearly 220,000 people have now been confirmed with the coronavirus globally, of which at least 84,000 have recovered from COVID-19, while more than 8,800 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University in the US.