KHARTOUM, Sudan 

Sudan confirmed nine additional fatalities due to coronavirus on Wednesday, taking the nationwide death toll to 477.

A further 305 new cases were registered, taking the tally to 7,740, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

A total of 2,820 people have recovered, it added.

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, COVID-19 has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, with US, Brazil and Russia are currently the hardest-hit in the world.

The pandemic has killed nearly 444,000 people worldwide with more than 8.18 million confirmed cases, while recoveries have surpassed 3.97 million, according to figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University of the US.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara