Image copyright Getty Images

There are now more than 2.5 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in 185 countries as the disease continues to spread. At least 171,000 people have died.

The United States has more than three times as many confirmed cases as any other country.

This series of maps and charts tracks the global outbreak of the virus since it emerged in China in December last year.

How many deaths have there been?

The virus, which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19, was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

It is spreading rapidly in many countries and the death toll is still climbing.

Note: Johns Hopkins University puts total global cases at just over 2.5 million, however the map and table in this page use a different source for France which results in a slightly lower overall total.

The US has by far the largest number of cases, with more than 788,000 confirmed infections, according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University. This is more than nine times the number reported by China.

The US also has the world's highest death toll with more than 43,000 fatalities including more than 14,000 in New York City alone.

Spain and Italy - the worst hit European countries - have each recorded more than 20,000 deaths, while France and the UK have suffered more than 20,000 and 17,000 respectively.

In the UK new data has shown deaths in England and Wales have almost doubled above what would be expected for the week up to 10 April, with some 30% of all deaths in England and Wales linked to Covid-19.

Note: The past data for new cases is a three day rolling average

China's official death toll from the outbreak is just over 4,600 from some 83,800 confirmed cases. Numbers for deaths jumped on 17 April after what officials called "a statistical review".

Critics of the Chinese government have questioned whether the country's official numbers can be trusted.

China has now lifted many of the stringent measures it took to bring the disease under control, including a ban on all travel to and from Wuhan.

The outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March. This is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many parts of the world at the same time.

The WHO said it took more than three months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide, but it took less than a week for the number to double from 500,000 to a million. It then took two weeks to top two million.

While more than 2.4 million people are known to have been infected worldwide, the true figure is thought to be much higher as many of those with milder symptoms have not been tested and counted.

Governments across the world have halted flights, locked down towns and cities and urged people to stay at home.

More than 4.5 billion people - half the world's population - are estimated to be now living under social distancing measures to slow the pandemic, according to the AFP news agency.

The pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger, the UN World Food Programme has warned.

And the oil market continued to collapse on Tuesday a day after the price of US oil turned negative for the first time in history.

Oil producers have been paying buyers to take the commodity off their hands over fears that, with demand shrinking, storage capacity could run out in May.

The global economy faces the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the International Monetary Fund has said.

• A SIMPLE GUIDE: What are the symptoms?
• AVOIDING CONTACT: Should I self-isolate?
• STRESS: How to protect your mental health
• UK LOOK-UP TOOL: Check cases in your area
• VIDEO: The 20-second hand wash

Europe is battling to slow infection rates

Italy and Spain remain the worst affected countries after the US, although the slowing of infection rates appears to show the success of social distancing,

Italy will unveil an "exit plan" from lockdown this week, Prime Minister Guiseppe Conte said on Tuesday, a day after the release of figures showing a very slight fall in infections.

Spain has more than 204,000 confirmed cases - the second highest global figure - while Italy has the second highest death toll of more than 24,000.

Both countries have been in lockdown since early March, however some quarantine measures are starting to be relaxed.

Spanish children, who have been kept indoors at home since 14 March, are expected to be allowed outside on 27 April.

In the UK, there have now been about 130,000 confirmed cases and more than 17,000 deaths - however hopes have risen that the outbreak has peaked.

Like Spain, deaths in the UK grew rapidly at first, doubling faster than every two days. While the rate of increase has slowed, last week the British government ruled out lifting lockdown measures for another three weeks.

Many European countries have slowly started to ease their restrictions, with Germany, Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republics now allowing certain businesses to reopen.

There is no co-ordination at EU level however, and the WHO has warned that lockdowns must be lifted slowly and carefully.

"Individuals and society need to be ready for a new way of living," Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said on Tuesday.

New York is epicentre of US outbreak

With more than 788,000 cases, the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world. The number of deaths now stands at more than 43,000.

The state of New York has more confirmed cases than anywhere else in the world, and there have been more than 14,000 deaths in New York City alone.

Although the infection rate appears to be levelling off in New York, the US has seen more than 25,000 new cases per day over the last week, the New York Times reports.

President Trump has announced that he will suspend all immigration to the US because of the coronavirus.

On Twitter the president cited "the attack from the invisible enemy", as he calls the virus, and the need to protect the jobs of Americans, but did not give details.

Over the last month a record 20 million Americans have registered for unemployment benefits.

A number of states, including South Carolina, Georgia and Texas, have announced plans to scale back their lockdowns, despite warnings from public health officials that the outbreak has not yet peaked.

Much of the planet is on lockdown

Strict lockdowns were imposed around the world as the outbreak took hold.

From Argentina to New Zealand and from Saudi Arabia to South Africa, cities were shut down, restricting how often people could leave their homes and for what reason. India told the country's 1.3 billion residents to stay at home.

In Paris, authorities banned exercise during the day to reduce the number of people out on the streets.

Data on planned journeys in major cities, from the travel app Citymapper, shows how people in places like London, Madrid, Istanbul and New York are now moving around far less than they were a few weeks ago.

The data shows that while Milan in northern Italy has been locked down for weeks, many other cities have been restricting movement for a much shorter period.

While movement is also down in the South Korean capital Seoul, the city hasn't ground to a halt like European capitals, despite South Korea facing a surge in cases in February and March.

The data highlights South Korea's strategy of large-scale testing and focused contact tracing, rather than imposing a lockdown.

In Sweden, the government has avoided strict measures, issuing guidelines rather than rules.

While Stockholm's chart shows passenger numbers on subway and commuter trains far below normal, Sweden has recorded the highest number of infections in Scandinavia.