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Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world, with more than three million confirmed cases in 185 countries. More than 200,000 people have lost their lives.

The United States alone has more than one million confirmed cases - five times as many 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 cases and 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 number of deaths is still climbing.

Note: The map and table in this page uses a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University which results in a slightly lower overall total.

The US has by far the largest number of cases, with more than one million confirmed infections, according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University. With more than 60,000 fatalities, it also has the world's highest death toll.

Italy, the UK, Spain and France - the worst-hit European countries - have all recorded more than 20,000 deaths.

In China, the official death toll is approaching 5,000 from about 84,000 confirmed cases. Numbers for deaths jumped on 17 April after what officials called "a statistical review" and critics have questioned whether the country's official numbers can be trusted.

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

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.

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

While the US and much of Europe have been hit hard by the virus, some countries have managed to avoid their comparatively high death tolls.

New Zealand, for instance, says it has effectively eliminated the threat after fewer than 1,500 confirmed cases and just 19 deaths.

Its authorities had brought in some of the toughest restrictions on travel and activity early in the pandemic - measures that are now being relaxed. Some non-essential businesses are to reopen this week, however, most people will be required to stay at home and avoid social interaction.

Australia is also planning to review its lockdown earlier than expected, after health officials said the nation had "pretty convincingly" curbed the virus's spread. Officials were due to review measures on 11 May but this will now be brought forward to 8 May.

While New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere are beginning to ease restrictions, some countries are only now starting to impose them as cases and deaths begin to rise.

Across Latin America, where many economies are already struggling and millions live on what they can earn day-to-day, there are concerns about the strain the growing number of virus cases could put on health care systems. Of particular concern are Ecuador and Brazil.

Ecuador has already seen its health system collapse - thousands have died from the virus and other conditions that could not be treated because of the crisis. Brazil has also seen a steep rise in both cases and deaths, with every state in South America's largest country affected.

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Globally, more than 4.5 billion people - half the world's population - have been living under social distancing measures, according to the AFP news agency's estimates last week.

Those restrictions have had a big impact on the global economy, with the International Monetary Fund saying the world faces the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

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

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Europe beginning to ease lockdown measures

The four worst-hit countries in Europe are Italy, the UK, Spain and France - all of which have recorded at least 20,000 deaths.

However, all four countries appear to have passed through the peak of the virus and the number of reported cases and deaths is falling.

Germany and Belgium have also recorded a relatively high number of deaths and are now seeing those numbers decrease, though as Belgium has a far smaller population than Germany the number of deaths per capita there has been higher.

How countries across Europe are planning to move out of lockdown varies, with the EU saying there is "no one-size-fits-all approach" to lifting containment measures.

Spain has announced a four-phase plan to lift its lockdown and return to a "new normality" by the end of June. Children under the age of 14 are now allowed to leave home for an hour a day, after six weeks in lockdown.

In Italy, certain shops and factories have now reopened and further measures are due to be eased from 4 May.

In France, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said this week that non-essential shops and markets would open their doors again from 11 May, but not bars and restaurants. Schools would also be reopened gradually, he said.

In the UK, where there have been more than 170,000 confirmed cases and at least 26,000 deaths, lockdown measures are still in full effect. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to reveal a "comprehensive plan" in the next week for how the government will get the country moving again.

Denmark, which became the first European country to begin easing its lockdown measures earlier this month, says its overall number of Covid-19 infections has continued to fall. The country has allowed young children to return to school, and hairdressers and other small businesses to reopen.

Other European countries easing restrictions include Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany, where children's play areas and museums have been told they can reopen and church services can resume, under strict social distancing and hygiene rules.

New York remains epicentre of US outbreak

With more than one million cases, the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world. The country has also recorded more than 60,000 deaths.

The state of New York has been particularly badly affected, with 18,000 deaths in New York City alone, but Governor Andrew Cuomo says the toll "seems to be on a gentle decline".

Mr Cuomo has suggested some parts of his state could begin to reopen after the current stay-at-home order expires on 15 May.

At one point, more than 90% of the US population was under mandatory lockdown orders, but President Donald Trump has stated that he will not renew his government's social distancing guidelines that expired on Thursday.

From Friday, Georgia, Texas, Maine and other states will loosen their stay-at-home restrictions and allow certain businesses to reopen. In Texas, retail stores will be able to reopen if they restrict occupancy to 25% of capacity.

The re-opening of many businesses follows the release of official unemployment figures showing that more than 30 million Americans have lost their jobs since mid-March.

But public health authorities have warned that increasing human interaction and economic activity could spark a fresh surge of infections just as the number of new cases is beginning to ease off.

White House coronavirus taskforce coordinator Dr Deborah Birx has said social distancing should remain the norm "through the summer to really ensure that we protect one another as we move through these phases".

Meanwhile, President Trump says he has seen evidence the virus originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, without giving details. US intelligence agencies have concluded the virus was not man-made or genetically modified.