Coronavirus latest: 2 million cases as world leaders weigh easing lockdowns
- It took 83 days to reach the first million cases worldwide and just 14 days for the second million
- UK lawmaker says China trying to exploit pandemic; Spain’s daily deaths fall again
More than two million cases of the new coronavirus have been officially registered around the world, half of them in Europe, according to a tally compiled by AFP on Wednesday based on official sources.
At least 2,000,576 infections, including 126,871 deaths, have been recorded. Europe is the hardest hit continent, with 1,010,858 cases and 85,271 fatalities. The United States, where the virus is spreading most rapidly, registered 609,240 cases, and 26,033 deaths.
It took 83 days to reach the first million cases worldwide and just 14 days for the second million.
The deadly pandemic has already killed more than 125,000 people worldwide since it was first detected in China late last year.
Around the globe, the virus has crossed all walks of life. It’s infected everyone from political elite like heir to the British throne Prince Charles to grocery store clerks, musicians and prison inmates.
In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson became so sick that he was admitted to intensive care. He was released from the hospital on April 12.