The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Europe surpassed the grim milestone of 25,000 on Monday, as the number of people carrying the virus surged to nearly 400,000.
A tally of official figures, compiled by the AFP news agency, revealed that the total number of deaths on the continent climbed to 25,037 on Monday and the number of confirmed cases hit 399,381, as many countries struggle to wrestle the virus under control.
Italy and Spain are the countries worst affected by the pandemic, racking up more than three quarters of the deaths in Europe between them. The virus has claimed a total of 10,779 lives in Italy, while it has been responsible for 7,340 deaths in Spain.
Tallies from AFP and Johns Hopkins University revealed that the total number of cases worldwide surged past 700,000 on Monday as several regional outbreaks, most notably in the United States, led to major spikes in the numbers.
The virus has officially been held responsible for around 34,000 deaths since it first emerged in China late last year. After suffering approximately 3,000 confirmed deaths in the early stages of the pandemic, the Asian country has clamped down on the disease. Across the world more than 150,000 people are recorded as having recovered from the illness.
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