The coronavirus death toll in the US climbed by more than 1,800 in the past 24 hours to reach over 38,000 on Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University. The US has recorded more than 730,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date, said the university.

The coronavirus had killed more than 100,000 people in Europe, nearly two thirds of the overall global death toll, according to an AFP tally Saturday at 6p.m GMT. Italy is the hardest-hit country in Europe, with more than 23,000 deaths.

South Korea on Sunday reported eight more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the nation's total infections to more than 10,000, with the daily increase falling to a single digit for the first time in about two months.

Meanwhile, Japan confirmed nearly 600 new cases, taking a domestic total to 10,000, which doubled the figure 10 days ago.