Worldwide coronavirus deaths exceed 14,000

More than 337,000 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus across the world and 14,651 have died, with deaths in Italy surpassing the toll in China where the outbreak began, according to a Reuters tally.

Infections have been reported by 192 countries outside China.

Italy remained the country hardest-hit outside mainland China, registering 651 deaths in the last day. Spain registered almost 400 deaths, while over 100 people died in France, Iran and the United States each.

In mainland China, where the outbreak began, there were 39 new confirmed cases on Sunday, all travellers arriving from abroad.

Germany has banned public meetings of more than two people unless they live together in the same household or the gathering is work-related, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, one in a bundle of stricter curbs on social interaction.

Merkel herself was later announced to be going into quarantine after coming into contact with a doctor who had tested positive for the coronavirus, her spokesman said.