More than a quarter of a million cases of the new coronavirus have been recorded across the globe, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1700 GMT on Friday based on official sources.
There have been at least 256,296 infections reported in 163 countries and territories, and 11,015 deaths.
China, where the virus first emerged in December, has registered 80,976 cases including 3,248 deaths. Italy has suffered the most deaths, 4,032, out of 47,021 cases.
The number of diagnosed cases reflects only a fraction of the actual number of infections as many countries test only those with the most severe symptoms.