At least 12,337,121 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 554,383 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, 2020.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

At least 3,132,226 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 133,134 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of July  10, 2020, 1:26 PM. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20.

Likewise, Brazil follows the US with a total of 1,755,779 coronavirus cases with 69,184 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread.

Likewise, India has the third-highest 793,802 coronavirus cases while 21,604 people have died.

More than 60,500 new COVID-19 infections were reported across the United States on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, setting a one-day record as weary Americans were told to take new precautions and the pandemic becomes increasingly politicised.

ASIA-PACIFIC

— China's embassy in Kazakhstan has warned its citizens to take precautions against an outbreak of pneumonia in the country that it says is more lethal than COVID-19.

— Australia will halve the number of citizens allowed to return home from overseas each week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

— Singaporeans wearing masks and gloves cast their ballots under the cloud of the pandemic.

EUROPE

— The British government has decided not to join a European Union coronavirus vaccine scheme because of concerns there could be costly delays in securing the vaccines, The Telegraph reported, citing sources.

— Twenty-six Irish pubs face possible prosecution and risk losing their licences over potential COVID-19 public health breaches, Irish police said.

— Slovakia reported its biggest daily jump in new infections since April 22 in a jolt to a country with one of the fewest number of infections and deaths from COVID-19 in Europe so far.

AMERICAS

— Bolivia's President Jeanine Anez and Venezuelan socialist party leader Diosdado Cabello have tested positive for COVID-19.

— The Trump administration will not cut federal education spending but could allow families to use funds elsewhere if their school does not open amid the pandemic, the US education secretary said.

— Keeping schools closed in the coming academic year is a greater risk to children's health than reopening them, said Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

— The famous beaches in Brazil's tourist hot spot of Rio de Janeiro will only reopen officially for sun bathers and swimmers once there is a vaccine for COVID-19, Mayor Marcelo Crivella said.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

— African countries must carry out more testing and make people use masks, a regional disease control body said as cases topped half a million in the continent.

— Morocco extended an emergency decree until Aug. 10 giving local authorities leeway in taking restrictive measures in response to the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

— The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was setting up an independent panel to review its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response by governments.

— The WHO also released new guidelines on the transmission of the coronavirus that acknowledge some reports of airborne transmission of the virus, but stopped short of confirming that the virus spreads through the air.

— Five companies developing coronavirus vaccines will testify before a sub-committee of the U.S. House Of Representatives later this month.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

— International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath urged governments to shift to "equity-like" support from one focused on loans as the pandemic inflicts prolonged damage on companies.

— US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she is "very confident" Democrats and Republicans in Congress will agree on strong new coronavirus relief legislation after lawmakers return from their July break.

— China's aviation industry sank further into the red, losing 34.25 billion yuan in the second quarter, only slightly narrower than in the first quarter.