Global death toll passes 3m as pandemic ‘grows at an alarming rate’

Rich countries have key role to play in bringing outbreak to a halt, says Wellcome Trust head

• Coronavirus - latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

A grim Covid-19 milestone was passed on Saturday when it was revealed that the global death toll from the disease had passed three million.

The news was described as chilling" by Wellcome Trust director Jeremy Farrar, who warned that the true number of deaths was probably much higher. Worryingly, this pandemic is still growing at an alarming rate," he said. Hundreds of thousands are dying every day."