AKIPRESS.COM - The World Health Organisation has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 183,020 in a 24-hour period.

The biggest rise - almost two thirds of the new infections - was seen in North and South America with around 116,041 new cases, according to the body's daily report on Sunday.

The second-highest spike was recorded in South East Asia (20,248), then the Eastern Mediterranean (18,975), Europe (17,922), Africa (8,464) and Western Pacific (1,370).

The previous record for new COVID-19 cases in a single day was 181,232 on 18 June.

There were 54,771 new cases in Brazil (1,206 deaths), followed by the United States with 36,617 (690 deaths) and India with more than 15,400 infections (306 deaths), the UN health agency said.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday the last one million cases were reported in just eight days.