Worldwide coronavirus cases crossed 40 million on Monday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, as the onset of winter in the northern hemisphere fuelled a resurgence in the spread of the disease.
Experts believe the true numbers of both cases and deaths are likely much higher, given deficiencies in testing and potential under-reporting by some countries.
The data shows the pace of the pandemic continues to pick up. It took just 32 days to go from 30 million global cases to 40 million, compared with the 38 days it took to get from 20 to 30 million, the 44 days between 10 and 20 million, and the three months it took to reach 10 million cases from when the first cases were reported in Wuhan, China, in early January.
Record one-day increases in new infections were seen at the end of last week, with global coronavirus cases rising above 400,000 for the first time.
There were an average of around 347,000 cases each day over the past week, compared with 292,000 in the first week of October.
New cases are growing at over 150,000 a day in Europe, as many countries including Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland, Ukraine, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic have reported record daily increases in the number of coronavirus infections.
Europe currently accounts for over 17 per cent of the global cases and nearly 22 per cent of the deaths related to the virus worldwide. Its death toll has this week passed 250,000, according to an AFP tally.
It's seen a raft of European nations take urgent new measures to combat a second wave of infections.
In Belgium, where hospitalisations rose 100 percent in just the last week, bars and restaurants have been closed for a month and a curfew will be reinforced overnight.
A man wearing a face mask walks past a public information poster in London, as the capital moves to tier two restrictions. Source: SIPA USA
The country's second major lockdown comes after Prime Minister Alexander de Croo warned the situation was "much worse" than in March when there was an almost complete confinement.
Ireland is also set to re-enter lockdown, with Prime Minister Michael Martin on Monday announcing a a six-week nationwide "stay at home" order.
Wales, meanwhile, has decided to impose a full "firebreak" lockdown for two weeks from Friday which forces people to stay home except for limited purposes like exercise.
Italy, the initial epicentre of Europe's outbreak, also announced fresh curbs including earlier closures for bars and restaurants and a push to increase working from home.
In Poland, where around half the country is now designated as a coronavirus "red zone", the government said the national stadium would double as a field hospital to help ease the strain on overwhelmed health facilities.
A woman passes a mural in Dublin city centre ahead of the Irish Government announcing further coronavirus restrictions. Source: AAP
France has imposed its own overnight curfew from the weekend in nine cities including Paris, while Switzerland has made mask-wearing compulsory in indoor public spaces and put limits on public gatherings.
"The second wave is here, earlier and stronger than we expected, but we are prepared," Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset said.
The United States, India, and Brazil remain the worst affected countries in the world. COVID-19 cases in North, Central, and South America represent about 47.27 per cent or nearly half of global cases.
Around 247 cases are seen per 10,000 people in the United States. For India and Brazil, those numbers stand at 55 cases and 248 cases per 10,000 people respectively.
President Donald Trump called for a big economic stimulus as US infections surpassed eight million, with record spikes in several states.
States across the Midwest are seeing a rise in coronavirus cases, with new infections and hospitalisations rising to record levels.
India’s cumulative tally of coronavirus infections stood at 7.43 million on Saturday, with the number of active infections slipping below 800,000 for the first time in 1.5 months.
A customer wears a face mask by a cash desk in a Lenta supermarket amid the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in Russia. Source: Vladimir Smirnov/TASS/Sipa USA
Iran, the Middle Eastern country hardest-hit by the coronavirus, extended restrictions and closures in the capital Tehran into a third week on Saturday as its death toll rose above 30,000.
Since the pandemic started, over 1.1 million people have died due to COVID-19, with the global fatality rate hovering around 2.8 per cent of the total cases.
An official at the World Health Organisation has said the global death toll from COVID-19 could double to 2 million before a successful vaccine is widely used and could be even higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction's restrictions on gathering limits. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: , , , , , , .
