Update: Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.5 mln: Johns Hopkins University

The United States recorded the most cases and the highest death toll.

NEW YORK, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide topped 2.5 million Tuesday morning, reaching 2,501,156 as of 1520 GMT, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

A total of 171,810 people have died of the disease globally, the CSSE said.

People are seen on the grass beside graves in Green-Wood Cemetery in the Brooklyn borough of New York, the United States, April 19, 2020. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua)

Among all countries and regions, the United States recorded the most cases and the highest death toll, which stood at 788,920 and 42,458, respectively. Spain reported 204,178 cases and 21,282 deaths, while Italy reported 181,288 cases and 24,114 deaths, the CSSE said.

Other countries with over 100,000 cases included France, Germany and the United Kingdom, according to the CSSE tally. ■