The number of COVID-19 cases across the globe has touched 72.8 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The overall number of global coronavirus deaths has reached more than 1.62 million, the University added in its latest update on Tuesday. The current global caseload and death toll stood at 72,818,538 and 1,620,294, respectively, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 16,515,717 and 300,474, respectively, according to the CSSE. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 9,884,100, while the country's death toll soared to 143,355.

The other countries with more than a million confirmed cases are Brazil (6,927,145), Russia (2,656,601), France (2,433,859), the UK (1,874,867), Turkey (1,866,345), Italy (1,855,737), Spain (1,751,884), Argentina (1,503,222), Colombia (1,434,516), Germany (1,357,261), Mexico (1,255,974), Poland (1,140,572) and Iran (1,115,770), the CSSE figures showed.

Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of fatalities at 181,835.

The countries with a death toll above 20,000 are Mexico (114,298), Italy (65,011), the UK (64,500), France (58,391), Iran (52,447), Spain (48,013), Russia (46,846), Argentina (41,041), Colombia (39,195), Peru (36,677), South Africa (23,451), Poland (22,960) and Germany (22,330).