WASHINGTON: Southern and western regions of the United States were grappling Thursday with a renewed surge of coronavirus infections as the death toll in the world's worst-affected nation passed 150,000. Brazil is second to the US in terms of cases and fatalities, and also reported a sobering figure as it surpassed 90,000 deaths.

Even nations that believed they had largely curbed the disease are being gripped by worrying second and third-wave resurgences, with Australia on Thursday reporting a record number of new infections and its deadliest day of the pandemic so far. Despite efforts in place to contain the virus, Covid-19 has killed more than 666,000 people around the world and total infections have passed 17 million, according to an AFP tally. Global daily cases are now approaching the 300,000 mark, with the curve showing no sign of flattening - it took just 100 hours for one million new cases to be recorded.