A poster to remind people to stay safe is seen at a bus stop in Brussels, Belgium, April 21, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has increased to 195,920 with the global confirmed cases reaching 2,790,986 as of 10:30 am BJT on Saturday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Current status (data as of 10:30 am BJT, April 25):

Chinese health authority said Saturday that it received reports of 12 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland Friday, of which 11 were imported.

The United States recorded 1,258 coronavirus deaths on Friday, the lowest daily toll in the country in nearly three weeks, according to a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University.

Italy's economically-punishing coronavirus lockdown, combined with big-spend stimulus packages to support families and firms, will push public debt and deficit to dizzying heights, the government said Friday.

France's Director of Public Health, Jérôme Salomon, announced on Friday that 22,245 people have died of COVID-19 since March 1. Hospitals across the country are treating almost 14,000 infected patients, while 8,393 are being treated at social and medico-social establishments.

Another 684 people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died in hospitals in Britain as of Thursday afternoon, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 19,506, the Department of Health and Social Care said Friday.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Turkey on Friday increased to 104,912, while Iran's cases reached 88,194 amid a continued slowdown.

Russia has reported 5,849 COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, taking its total to 68,622 as of Friday, the country's coronavirus response center said in a statement.

Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes announced the gradual de-confinement measures in three phases at the end of a National Security Council meeting on Friday.