Global cases of COVID-19 have reportedly surpassed 30 million, increasing by five million in just 18 days. 

According to Worldometer, a website that provides real-time statistics for the pandemic, the global tally topped the grim milestone early on Thursday Korea time, with the global death toll surpassing 944-thousand. 

This comes about nine months after the first case was reported in China in December last year and about six months after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global "pandemic."

The global tally surpassed 25 million on August 30 and soared by five million in just 18 days. 

The United States has the highest number of confirmed cases in the world, reporting some six-point-eight million cases, followed by India, Brazil and Russia.