The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Sunday, with the total rising by 230,370 in 24 hours.
The biggest increases were recorded in the United States, Brazil, India, and South Africa, according to the daily report.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 on July 10. Death tolls remained steady at about 5,000 a day.
A daily tally by Johns Hopkins University revealed that global coronavirus cases were approaching 13 million on Sunday, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than 566,000 people in seven months.
Giving a breakdown of the cases, The United States, hardest hit by the coronavirus posted 66,528 new cases, a record for a 24-hour period, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.
The country has now recorded a total of 3,242,073 infections, the Baltimore-based university said in its latest data. The death toll stood at 134,729 with 760 additional deaths counted.
Florida reported the largest single-day increase in positive coronavirus cases in any one of the US states since the beginning of the pandemic. According to its state health department statistics, 15,299 people tested positive, for a total of 269,811 cases.
On its part, South Africa, confronted by surging hospitalizations is considering a return to tighter restrictions to combat the disease, which officials say may soon overwhelm the country’s health system.
South Africa’s rapid increase in reported cases has made it one of the world’s centers for COVID-19, as it is ranked as the 9th country most affected by the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The country has reported increases of more than 10,000 confirmed cases for several days and the latest daily increase was nearly 13,500.
Similarly, India’s coronavirus caseload is nearing 850,000 with a record surge of 28,637 in the past 24 hours, prompting authorities to announce a weeklong lockdown in the southern technology hub of Bangalore.
The new confirmed cases took the national total to 849,553. The Health Ministry on Sunday also reported another 551 deaths for a total of 22,674.
India has overtaken Russia in the number of cases and is currently behind the US and Brazil, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and Pune are among the key Indian cities witnessing a surge in infections. Several states have announced stringent lockdowns in high-risk areas.
In Brazil, a football match was called off after 14 players were found to be coronavirus positive
The Santa Catarina state championship restarted on July 8 with four games, including Chapecoense’s 2-0 home win over Avai. The return match was due to kick off on Sunday but was canceled on the orders of the state’s Health Secretariat.
