The World Health Organisation has reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 338,779 in 24 hours led by a surge of infections in Europe.
Men stand in a line in Kolkata, India, where new infections are down 20 percent from their peak. Photo: AFP
Europe reported 96,996 new cases, the highest total for the region ever recorded by the WHO.
Global deaths rose by 5514 to a total of 1.05 million.
The previous WHO record for new cases was 330,340 on 2 October. The agency reported a record 12,393 deaths on 17 April.
As a region, Europe is now reporting more cases than India, Brazil or the United States.
India reported 78,524 new cases, followed by Brazil at 41,906 and the United States with 38,904 new infections, according to the WHO, whose data lags the daily reports by each country.
According to a Reuters analysis of more recent country data, Covid-19 infections are rising in 54 countries, including surges in Argentina, Canada and much of Europe.
UK may reach 'critical' point in next 10 days
Infections in the United Kingdom have reached record levels with over 17,000 new cases reported yesterday.
"We are seeing a definite and sustained increase in cases and admissions to hospital. The trend is clear, and it is very concerning," said Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England.
Health Minister Nadine Dorries predicted hospitals would reach a "critical" point within 10 days.
With rising Covid-19 admissions, there have been warnings that hospitals will have to cut back core services.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the UK is in a "perilous" position, and the ability of the National Health Service to see non-Covid patients is under threat.
Matt Hancock says the pandemic is placing the UK in a "perilous" position. Photo: AFP
France's new daily Covid-19 infections remained above the record 18,000 threshold for the second day with new measures to curb the outbreak expected.
The average number of new infections reported in Belgium has been increasing for seven days straight and Germany reported its biggest daily increase in new cases since April.
While India still leads in most new cases reported per day, new infections are down 20 percent from their peak.
In the United States, which has the largest total number of cases and deaths in the world, new infections are edging higher along with the most hospitalised Covid-19 patients since early September.
- Reuters / BBC