Commuters wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) including face masks as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, travel by public transport during the evening 'rush hour', in central London on May 14, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has increased to 307,666 with the global confirmed cases reaching 4,542,347 as of 11:00 am BJT on Saturday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University (JHU).

Current status (data as of 11:00 am BJT, May 16):

Chinese health authority said on Saturday it received reports of eight new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Friday, among which two were domestically contracted, both in Jilin Province, and six were imported.

The United States recorded 1,680 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its grim total to 87,493, according to the latest real-time tally Friday reported by Johns Hopkins University. The country -- hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities -- has now confirmed a total of 1,442,824 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported.

Russia has confirmed 10,598 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, raising its total to 262,843, according to a statement released by the country's coronavirus response center on Friday.

Another 348 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Thursday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 33,998, the Department of Health and Social Care said Friday. 

It is followed by Spain with 27,459 deaths from 230,183 infections, according to a tally by JHU.

A further 242 COVID-19 patients had died in the past 24 hours in Italy, bringing the country's death toll to 31,610, out of total infection cases of 223,885, according to fresh figures on Friday. 

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Brazil have increased to 220,291 with 14,962 deaths, according to JHU.

With 104 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, France saw its death toll of the epidemic rising to 27,529 on Friday, the Health Ministry data showed. 

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Friday reported 1,708 new COVID-19 cases and 48 more deaths in Turkey. The total number of confirmed cases in the country has climbed to 146,457 while the death toll surged to 4,055, Koca tweeted.

Tourist sites in Iran's central province of Isfahan have been allowed to reopen as restrictive measures imposed to contain the COVID-19 spread are relaxed in the country, Tehran Times daily reported Friday. Iran has so far confirmed 116,635 COVID-19 cases, of whom 6,902 have died.