A staff member works in a train coach which is being converted into an isolation ward in Guwahati, India, on March 29, 2020. Indian railway authorities is preparing to convert train coaches into isolation wards in Guwahati to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (Str/Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, March 29  -- The number of COVID-19 cases has exceeded 700,000 globally, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE).

As of 2:45 p.m. on Sunday (1845 GMT), there have been more than 704,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with 33,509 deaths, an interactive map maintained by the CSSE showed.

According to the update, the United States has the most confirmed cases, which have surged to more than 132,000, while Italy has reported more than 10,000 deaths, the highest number among all nations and regions.