More than 80 percent of the deaths have occurred in just four countries – Italy, Spain, France and the UK – according to statistics compiled from official sources.

The number of people infected with the virus is still climbing towards the one million mark, with the number of confirmed cases now standing at 909,673.

Italy remains Europe’s most affected country, with 19,468 deaths, followed by Spain with 16,972, France with 13,832 and the UK with 9,875.

Europe remains the continent hit hardest by the pandemic, by a significant margin. On a global scale approximately 109,000 people are recorded as having died from the disease, though experts have noted that the real death toll is likely much higher than the official figures.

The epicenter of the pandemic has shifted to the US in recent weeks, as more than 530,000 people have tested positive for the virus and over 20,000 have died.