Maps show explosion of COVID-19 cases around the world

367,457 Total reported cases worldwide Updated: March 23, 2020 367,457 Total reported cases worldwide Updated: March 23, 2020 Photo: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Photo: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Maps show explosion of COVID-19 cases around the world 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

The number of COVID-19 cases around the globe continues to explode with 372,563 cases and 16,381 deaths in 168 countries as of Monday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University which is tracking the spread.

Italy has seen the most deaths, reporting 6,077. China has reported 3,153, Spain 2,207, Iran 1,812, France 860, the United States 573, the United Kingdom 335, and Netherlands 213.

You can see the spread of the pneumonia-like virus in the maps above from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The maps are regularly updated with data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

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In Italy, the hardest-hit country of all, declines in both new cases and deaths for a second consecutive day provided a faint glimmer of hope, though it is too soon to say whether the crisis is leveling off.

Italian officials said Monday that the virus had claimed over 600 more lives, down from 793 two days earlier. All told, the outbreak has killed more than 6,000 Italians, the highest death toll of any country, and pushed the health system to the breaking point.

The risk to doctors, nurses and others on the front lines has become plain: Italy has seen at least 18 doctors with coronavirus die. Spain reported that more than 3,900 health care workers have become infected, accounting for roughly 12% of the country's total cases.

British health workers pleaded for more gear, saying they felt like “cannon fodder.” In France, doctors scrounged masks from construction workers and factory floors.

The Dutch government has tightened its measures aimed at reining in the spread of the coronavirus, including banning all gatherings until June 1.

Canada's most populous province is ordering the closure of all non-essential businesses.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the order will be effective at midnight Tuesday and will be in place for at least 14 days.

India took the extraordinary step of shutting down the nation's vast rail system, which has long been the lifeblood of the country of 1.3 billion people.

Turkey's health minister says the country will begin the mass production of respirators for domestic use and to export to countries in need.

Fahrettin Koca said the government will also employ 32,000 more health workers across Turkey to fight the virus. A number of health personnel had contracted the virus, Koca said, adding that the exact figure would be released at a later date.

The way U.S. officials respond to the severe pressure on hospitals — and people's willingness to keep their distance from others — will prove critical in coming days, public health experts said.

“Actions taken right now will have a huge impact on the course of this epidemic in the U.S.,” said Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy with the Kaiser Family Foundation in Washington. “It’s an important moment."

The crisis continued to ease in China. The city of Wuhan, where the outbreak first emerged late last year, said it is allowing residents limited movement as its lockdown is gradually relaxed. China is now sending planeloads of protective gear and doctors to Europe.

“The U.S. is completely wasting the precious time that China has won for the world,” said Geng Shuang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's top infectious-disease expert, promised that medical supplies are about to start pouring in and will be “clearly directed to those hot spots that need it most.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.