At least 23,044,144 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 798,558 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 5,640,749 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 175,397 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of August 22, 2020, 1:52 pm. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20.  

Likewise, Brazil follows the US with a total of 3,532,330 coronavirus cases with 113,358 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread.  

Likewise, India has the third-highest 2,975,701 coronavirus cases while 55,794 people have died. 

Moderately ill COVID-19 patients saw their condition improve after a 5-day course of Gilead Sciences Inc's remdesivir, but the drug did not significantly shorten hospital stays and a 10-day course did not show a benefit, according to new data.

ASIA-PACIFIC

— A jump in infections on Friday pushed India closer to the 3 million mark.

— Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said mass testing of residents will begin on September 1.

EUROPE

— The reproduction "R" number of infections in the UK has risen and may now be above 1, indicating a risk the overall epidemic is growing.

— Germany warned against travel to Brussels because of the high rate of infections in the Belgian capital.

— Authorities in Madrid advised residents in areas with a high level of cases to stay at home as the Spanish health ministry reported more than 3,000 new infections for the fourth day running.

AMERICAS

— A top US health regulator who will help decide the fate of a coronavirus vaccine has vowed to resign if the Trump administration approves a vaccine before it is shown to be safe and effective, Reuters has learned.

— New York City has managed to contain the virus as it reopens, but risks an increase in cases later in the year, public health experts told Reuters.

— The scale of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is "under-represented" and "under-recognised" and testing is limited, the World Health Organization's Dr Mike Ryan said.

— Nearly a fifth of 11,000 people enrolled so far in a 30,000-volunteer US trial testing a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and German partner BioNTech are Black or Latino, groups among the hardest hit by the pandemic, a top Pfizer executive said.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

— Lebanon imposed a partial lockdown for two weeks starting on Friday to counter COVID-19 infections which have doubled since the catastrophic explosion at the Beirut port.

— Tunisia imposed a 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from Friday in two southern towns to contain a renewed outbreak.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

— Much more research is needed on the impact of mutations in the coronavirus, World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said.

— China's Sinovac Biotech has committed to provide 50 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine candidate to Indonesia's government from November to March, a minister and Indonesia's state-owned pharmaceutical company Bio Farma said.

— Britain's AstraZeneca has received regulatory approval to conduct part of a Phase III trial of its potential COVID-19 vaccine in Russia.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

— US home sales rose at a record rate for a second straight month in July, signalling an economic recovery may be picking up speed.

— Canadian retail sales rose by a record 23.7% in June, rising above pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the shutdowns.