At least 15,577,209 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 633,071 people have died, a Reuters tally showed. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. The World Health Organization referred to the outbreak as a pandemic on March 11. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS At least 4,054,179 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 144,315 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of July 24, 2020, 1:28 PM. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20. Likewise, Brazil follows the US with a total of 2,287,475 coronavirus cases with 84,082 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread. Likewise, India has the third-highest 1,287,945 coronavirus cases while 30,601 people have died. Meanwhile, the United States on Thursday recorded more than 1,100 deaths from COVID-19 for a third day in a row, while the head of the World Health Organization said that comments by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo questioning his independence were untrue. ASIA-PACIFIC — Tokyo marked one year to go until the Olympics for the second time in a subdued 15-minute ceremony at an empty and dark National Stadium. — Australia's Victoria state will send in the army to question people who have tested positive for COVID-19 as it battles to control an outbreak that claimed a record number of lives on Friday. — Kuwait will shorten its nightly curfew and reopen hotels and mosques next week in the latest relaxation of its coronavirus restrictions. EUROPE — Britain said it was guaranteeing 3.7 billion pounds ($4.72 billion) of additional funding this year to be split between Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to allow the devolved governments there to plan their coronavirus response. — Belgium will tighten COVID-19 containment measures on July 25 after a rise in infections. AMERICAS — US President Donald Trump said states that are currently coronavirus hot spots may need to delay reopening schools by a few weeks, but otherwise pushed for students to be able to return to classrooms en masse in the fall. — Trump said he would no longer hold part of the Republican Party's nominating convention in Florida in August because of a spike in coronavirus cases in the state. — Bolivia's general election will be pushed back until Oct. 18 as the pandemic grips the South American nation. — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Thursday he had lost some relatives to the novel coronavirus. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA — Uganda recorded its first death from the new coronavirus, making it one of the last nations in Africa to report a fatality since the pandemic reached it. — Baghdad International Airport reopened for scheduled commercial flights after months of closure, as Iraq's total number of infections passed 100,000. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS — Quest Diagnostics Inc said it expects to cut week-long turnaround times for COVID-19 tests by more than half to get to 'acceptable' levels by September. — Fitbit and other wearable devices typically linked to exercise are being studied as ways to identify people who are potentially infected with COVID-19 before symptoms appear. ECONOMIC FALLOUT — Brazil's real led Latin American currencies lower on Thursday after record daily increases in coronavirus cases and Argentina left investors scurrying for safety. — Ireland will hand firms hit by the COVID-19 crisis more generous grants, extend a wage-subsidy scheme and aim to boost domestic tourism with 'staycation vouchers'. — A divided South African central bank cut interest rates for a fifth time this year on Thursday, trimming them to a record low.