Global COVID-19 cases near 204m

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 4,303,610 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019.

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This was according to a tally from official sources on Tuesday, stating that at least 203,332,890 cases of coronavirus have been registered. 

The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later. 

The figures are based on daily reports provided by health authorities in each country. They exclude revisions made by other statistical organisations, which show that the number of deaths is much higher.

The World Health Organization estimates that the pandemic’s overall toll could be two to three times higher than official records due to the excess mortality that is directly and indirectly linked to COVID-19.

A large number of the less severe or asymptomatic cases also remain undetected, despite intensified testing in many countries. 

On Monday, 8,556 new deaths and 625,724 new cases were recorded worldwide. 

MTO/AFP