The number of confirmed worldwide coronavirus infections topped 17 million on Thursday morning.

“Data from Johns Hopkins University indicated the global total of confirmed cases reached beyond 17 million since the first cases were identified in Wuhan, China, last December. The worldwide death toll has reached at least 667,707,” according to the Hill.

However, the number of those globally who recovered from the virus was 9,995,277, the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Coronavirus Resource Center reported.

The Hill article continued:

The U.S., like several countries, has ramped up testing to complete more than 750,000 every day, with many positive cases being found in people with few or no symptoms. The number of new cases identified each day in the U.S. has leveled since a peak in mid-July to reach a current seven-day average of more than 65,000 cases per day.

“The milestone also comes about six months after the first case was confirmed in the U.S. and seven months after cases were identified in Wuhan, China,” the report said.

China claimed a nationwide surge in confirmed coronavirus infections for the fifth straight day on Wednesday, according to the state-run Global Times. 

“Of the 101 cases, 89 were reported in Xinjiang, eight in Liaoning and one in Beijing which was linked to the outbreak in Liaoning, according to the National Health Commission on Wednesday,” the state paper said.

However, the country’s reports of coronavirus “resurgences” have been met with some skepticism “because the regime has a long and dangerous history of lying about the virus and claiming to be world champions at containing it,” according to Breitbart News.

“China’s tendency to suddenly impose draconian measures over supposedly tiny numbers of mostly asymptomatic infections – the Global Times referred to them as ‘hidden carriers’ – fuels speculation that the coronavirus was never as thoroughly contained as the CCP claims,” the report continued.

As of Thursday, China had 87,363 total confirmed cases of the virus, according to the JHU Coronavirus Resource Center.