The neon lights at One Times Square where the New Year's Eve celebration and ball drop takes place are seen in New York on July 31, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

NEW YORK, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Global COVID-19 deaths surpassed 700,000 on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

With the global case count reaching 18,480,000, the death toll now stands at 700,647, the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at the university said.

The United States and Latin America, the new epicenters of the pandemic, are striving to stem the spread of the virus.

The United States has recorded 4,771,087 cases with 156,806 deaths, making it by far the worst-hit country in the world. Latin America has broken through 5 million cases with more than 206,000 deaths.