US coronavirus cases rise more than 48,000 to set new daily record

Coronavirus cases in the United States rose by over 48,000 on Wednesday, the biggest daily increase since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.

The number of US COVID-19 infections has surged over the past week, with daily figures setting new records several times in the past week, according to the tally.

Arizona, California, Florida and Texas have led the increases and were among 14 states that have reported a more than doubling of case numbers during the month of June, according to a Reuters analysis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned any nation that fails to use every mechanism available to combat the still raging novel coronavirus is in for a "long, hard" battle.

More than 10.6 million people have been infected globally and more than half a million have died since the first cases were identified in China in December.

While it accounts for 4 per cent of the world's population, the United States is responsible for around 25 per cent of all reported COVID-19 cases and deaths.