At least 26,105,846 people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 862,963 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. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing to distribute a potential COVID-19 vaccine as soon as late-October, while Brazil showed signs of an easing in death toll for the first time since May.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

At least 6,122,077 cases of the highly contagious novel coronavirus have been reported in the United States and its territories while at least 185,754 people have died, according to a Reuters tally of state and local government sources as of September 3, 2020, 2:48 pm. The US diagnosed its first COVID-19 case in Washington state on January 20.  

Likewise, Brazil follows the US with a total of 3,997,865 coronavirus cases with 123,780 death, according to Reuters’ interactive graphic tracking the global spread.  

Likewise, India has the third-highest 3,853,406 coronavirus cases while 67,376 people have died. 

ASIA-PACIFIC

— India reported another record daily jump of 83,883 infections, taking its tally to 3.85 million, just 100,000 behind Brazil, the world's second most affected nation.

— Australia's Victoria state reported a triple-digit rise in new infections for the first time in four days, denting optimism that a second wave of cases has been contained.

EUROPE

— Turkey is experiencing the second peak of its novel coronavirus outbreak, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

— Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi vowed to carry on with political activities ahead of local elections in September after testing positive for COVID-19.

— The first shots of British drug maker AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine could be on the market by the end of 2020, Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

— European Union states could buy potential COVID-19 vaccines through a procurement scheme co-led by the World Health Organization, the EU Commission said in what appears to be a change in position.

— Germany's national institute for infectious diseases on Wednesday added the Canary Islands to its list of risk regions, citing a high rate of new coronavirus infections in the Spanish autonomous region.

— Greece recorded its first coronavirus case in the overcrowded migrant camp of Moria on the island of Lesbos and the facility has been placed under a two-week quarantine.

AMERICAS

— The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asked state public health officials to prepare to distribute a potential vaccine to high-risk groups as soon as late-October, documents published by the agency showed.

— Brazil's COVID-19 death toll appears to be easing for the first time since May, data shows, a sign the country could be descending from a long infection plateau.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

— South Africa's auditor general said that some of the money in its 500 billion rand ($30 billion) COVID-19 relief package may have been fraudulently paid to improper beneficiaries.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

— Britain is putting 500 million pounds ($666 million) into trials of rapid COVID-19 tests and into population-testing for the disease, the health ministry said on Thursday.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

— Asian equities started strong on Thursday as a sustained recovery in China's services sector and the prospect of additional US stimulus whetted risk appetite, while the dollar pared gains.

— India is facing potential delays in the harvest of its massive sugarcane crop, threatening supply worldwide, as millions of migrant workers may be scared to travel due to the novel coronavirus.