The global tally of confirmed coronavirus cases climbed past 800,000 on Tuesday, according to figures compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The COVID-19 virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December, has spread to at least 178 countries and regions around the globe, while a total of 38,714 people have died as recoveries hit 170,325.

Italy, Spain, China and Iran continue to be the most affected countries, while the highest number of coronavirus-related cases are in the US with more than 164,600 cases. The U.S. has confirmed 3,170 deaths due to the virus.

Italy recorded the highest number of fatalities with 11,591 and over 101,700 positive cases, while Spain has reported 8,189 deaths among confirmed cases of nearly 94,500. China, the ground zero of the virus, follows Spain with 3,309 deaths, while its confirmed cases have neared 82,300.

Meanwhile, the death toll is 2,898 in Iran, with the confirmed number of cases is over 44,600.

Many countries have restricted travel from the most affected areas and implemented lockdowns as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a pandemic and Europe the new epicenter of the outbreak.

The Johns Hopkins figures far exceed official tallies compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that are updated daily, but only for cases reported by 4.00 p.m. local time (2000GMT) the preceding day.

No new cases in China’s worst-hit province

China’s Wuhan city and Hubei province saw no new COVID-19 cases on Monday, authorities said on Tuesday.

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, China’s National Health Commission reported one death due to COVID-19 in Hubei, the capital of which is Wuhan, on Monday.

The health commission also confirmed there were no cases of local transmission anywhere on mainland China on Monday.

In a statement, it said the 48 cases reported in the country on Monday were all people who had recently come to China from abroad.

The commission said 282 Covid-19 patients were discharged from hospitals over the past 24 hours.

As per the statement, the total number of coronavirus cases on mainland China now stands at 81,518, with the death toll at 3,305 and a total of 76,052 recoveries.

Hong Kong has 682 cases and four deaths so far, Taiwan has 306 cases, and Macau has 39 cases, according to the commission report.

By Monday, a total of 124 Covid-19 patients had recovered in Hong Kong, 39 in Taiwan, and 10 in Macau, it added. (Anadolu)