319,000 coronavirus cases worldwide, over 53,000 in Italy

The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases globally has more than doubled in the space of a week, reaching over 319,000 on Sunday.

Around 13,600 have died of the virus around the world, with 96,000 having recovered, the latest figures show.

The pandemic’s epicentre has shifted from China - were the novel coronavirus originated - to Italy, with Malta’s neighbour to the north having registered over 53,000 cases, including 800 deaths on Saturday alone.

The crisis has led Italy to close down all non-essential businesses as it continues to try to halt the spread of the virus.

Deaths in Spain have risen by 400 in the past day, a 30% increase over the span 24 hours, to reach 1,720, with around 28,000 confirmed inections.

In the UK, 244 people have died from Covid-19, as cases rose to over 5,100.

As the British government urges shoppers not to stockpile food, the UK military is being drafted in to help feed the vulnerable.

Yesterday, UK prime minister Boris Johnson pleaded with the public to observe social distancing measures to slow the viral spread.

He warned that unless people abided by the rules, Britain’s health services would end up overwhelmed as had those in Italy.