Covid-19 cases worldwide rise by single-day record of half a million

Global coronavirus cases rose by more than 500,000 for the first time on Wednesday, a record one-day increase as countries across the Northern Hemisphere reported daily spikes.

Global daily Covid-19 cases have risen by nearly 25 per cent in less than two weeks as the world witnessed 400,000 daily reported cases for the first time last Friday.

Most western countries and parts of Latin America have reported their highest single-day surges in the past few weeks.

Many governments, with the notable exception of the United States, have started taking stronger measures to bring the spread of the virus under control.