Coronavirus worldwide death toll tops 9,000

More than 170 countries report infections

The global death toll for coronavirus has surpassed 9,000, according to an AFP tally.

More than 210,000 people have been infected with Covid-19 in 172 countries as of Thursday.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients who have recovered from the disease has topped 87,000 around the world.

Covid-19 – a flu-like disease that can develop into pneumonia – was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation last week.

Countries around the world have taken strict measures to limit its spread, with the whole of France, Italy and Spain going into lockdown.

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The EU said this week that the bloc would mostly close its borders to combat the pandemic.

Meanwhile in China, where the virus originated, the number of infections are slowing down, with 99.9 per cent of new cases last week reported outside the mainland.

More than 2,600 people have been infected with the disease in the UK, according to figures released on Wednesday.

The British prime minister has urged people to stay away from social venues, the office and to avoid non-essential travel to curb the spread of the virus.

The government denied reports on Thursday that travel in and out of London could go into lockdown within the next few days.

Additional reporting by Reuters