An employee disinfects supplies at a municipal warehouse in Curitiba, Brazil, on June 19, 2020. (DANIEL CASTELLANO / AFP)

RIO DE JANEIRO / NEW YORK / LONDON / BERLIN / CARIO / MEXICO CITY - Brazil passed 1 million coronavirus cases on Friday and approached 50,000 deaths, a new nadir for the world's second worst-hit country as it struggles with a tense political climate and worsening economic outlook. 

Second only to the United States in both cases and deaths, Brazil confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus on Feb. 26. The virus has spread relentlessly across the continent-sized country, eroding support for right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro and raising fears of economic collapse after years of anemic growth. 

Brazil reported 1,032,913 confirmed cases on Friday, with 1,206 new deaths to take total official fatalities to 48,954, the Health Ministry said. 

Friday also saw a new record daily number of cases, with 54,771, suggesting the outbreak is far from over. Brazil is likely to surpass 50,000 deaths on Saturday, although weekend reporting can be lower. 

Even so, the true extent of the outbreak far exceeds the official figures, according to many experts, who cite a lack of widespread testing.

WHO

The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, with Thursday’s 150,000 new cases the highest in a single day and nearly half of those in the Americas, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Almost half of the new cases came from the Americas, where the outbreak continues to rage, Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during the WHO’s daily briefing. The agency called on countries and citizens to remain vigilant, maintain social distancing efforts, cover coughs, stay home if sick and wear masks in public. All countries must commit to finding new infections, testing close contacts and isolating those who are sick, he said.

“The world is in a new and dangerous phase,” Tedros said. “Many people are understandably fed up with being at home. Countries are understandably eager to open up their societies and economies. But the virus is still spreading fast. It is still deadly and most people are still susceptible.”

US

Apple is again temporarily shutting 11 US stores in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina and South Carolina after new cases spiked. Before the decision, Apple had reopened the majority of its U.S. locations, including many stores in New York City and Los Angeles. The company in March closed all shops outside of China to help curb the spread of the virus. Apple shares slid.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 2.2 million on Friday, reaching 2,203,659 as of 12:33 pm, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The national death toll reached 118,659, according to the tally.

New York remains the hardest-hit state with 386,556 cases and 30,974 fatalities. Other states with over 100,000 cases include New Jersey, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas, the tally showed.

Washington DC will begin phase two of reopening on the upcoming Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced on Friday.

The city "has experienced 15 days of sustained decrease in community spread of COVID-19" during phase one of its reopening, which kicked off late last month, Bowser tweeted. 

READ MORE: UK lowers COVID-19 alert level to 'epidemic' from 'exponential'

EU

European leaders met at a video conference on Friday, discussing an ambitious fund to help the European economies recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But no consensus was reached.

The heads of state and government of the European Union's member states hopefully will meet again physically in July to address their differences, President of the European Council Charles Michel told media following the video conference.

"It was the first occasion to discuss, at the level of the leaders, the proposals" put on the table by the European Commission, said Michel, referring to the Recovery Fund, which is combined with the EU's long-term budget for the next seven years.

Russia

Russia on Saturday reported 7,889 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case tally to 576,952 since the crisis began. 

The national coronavirus response centre said 161 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 8,002.

UK

Britain's government will announce in the coming days whether it will reduce its two-metre social distancing rule for England, a minister said. 

Many employers, especially in the hospitality and leisure sectors, have said the rule that people must remain two metres apart will stop them from getting back to speed as the coronavirus lockdown is lifted. 

"We have committed to reviewing the two-metre to one-metre rule and we will be concluding on that shortly," culture minister Oliver Dowden told BBC radio late on Friday. 

Johnson, who says his government has followed scientific advice in its handling of the pandemic, has to balance the need to revive the economy after its 20% collapse in April without allowing a resurgence in coronavirus cases. 

Britain has the third-highest number of coronavirus deaths after the United States and Brazil.

Italy

Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy climbed by 47 on Friday, against 66 the day before, the Civil Protection Agency said, while the daily tally of new cases decreased to 251 from 333 on Thursday. 

The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 now stands at 34,561 the agency said, the fourth highest in the world after those of the United States, Brazil and Britain. The number of confirmed cases amounts to 238,011 the eighth highest global tally.

France

France registered 14 new deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, the lowest single-day human loss since March 10, while the balance of the coronavirus-related hospitalization remains negative, France's Health Ministry said on Friday.

So far, 29,617 people have succumbed to the disease caused by the coronavirus, 19,160 of them died in health institutions, the ministry said in a statement.

Employees stand outside the headquarters of abattoir company Toennies in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck, western Germany, on June 19, 2020. The company stopped its production after hundreds of employees were tested positive on the novel coronavirus. (INA FASSBENDER / AFP)

Germany

There were 482 new infections in the 24 hours through Saturday morning, bringing the total to 190,299 according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

A German meatpacking plant was ordered to shut Friday after hundreds of workers became infected, adding to a string of outbreaks at slaughterhouses across Europe.

Poland

The COVID-19 cluster outbreak has been brought under control in Silesia, a southern province of Poland with a prominent coal mining industry, the country's Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin announced on Friday.

Sasin told a press conference that the coronavirus outbreak at various mines has been contained. Miners can safely return to work when the mines reopen at the end of the month after a three-week closure, he claimed.

ALSO READ: Germany rolls out COVID-19 tracing app to fight second wave

Croatia 

Croatia is tightening restrictions for visitors from its eastern neighbors Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, where cases are on the rise again, Hina news agency quoted Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic as saying.

Mexico

Coronavirus deaths in Mexico surpassed 20,000 on Friday after the health ministry reported 647 new fatalities and 5,030 new confirmed cases. 

Total cases now stand at 170,485, with 20,394 fatalities, though the government has said the real number of infections is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum delayed the gradual reopening of Mexico City as COVID-19 cases sweep through the country’s capital. Reopening of street markets, restaurants, malls, department stores, hotels, church services and other establishments is now expected after June 28.

Peru

The Peruvian Ministry of Health reported on Friday 3,537 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total cases to 247,925, with 7,660 deaths.

Of all the positive cases registered so far, 10,445 patients have been hospitalized, with 1,126 in intensive care units on ventilators, the ministry said.

"Lima continues to be the region with the highest number of COVID-19 infections to date, with 141,512 (cases)," it added.

Peru, which will continue to be under quarantine and a curfew until June 30, has the second highest number of infections in Latin America, second only to Brazil.

Health personnel of San Jose Hospital protest demanding to the government an improvement of the health system, in Santiago, June 18, 2020. (MARTIN BERNETTI / AFP)

Chile

The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Friday that a total of 231,393 people have been infected with COVID-19 and 4,093 people have died from the disease in the country.

According to the authorities, 6,290 new cases were reported and 252 more deaths registered in the last 24 hours.

The ministry said 131 sanitary residences have been established, with 9,424 rooms currently available. The residences aim to guarantee the isolation and care of patients suffering from COVID-19 while allowing for the monitoring of patients and their close contacts.

Chile saw an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases in May. The country is currently under a state of emergency. Borders have been closed, classes cancelled, and non-essential trade suspended.

Bolivia 

Former Bolivia international playmaker Julio Cesar Baldivieso revealed that he and four other family members are battling COVID-19.

The 48-year-old said he was in a stable condition and resting at home while receiving regular medical checks. 

Morocco 

Morocco on Friday reported 539 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest single-day increase so far, taking the number of infections in the country since March 2 to 9,613.

The Ministry of Health said 457 new cases were found in industrial units specialized in packaging strawberries in the agricultural town of Lalla Mimouna near the northern city of Moulay Bousselham.

The whole region was placed under quarantine on Friday with more than 20 agro industrial units closed, according to local media.

The total number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Morocco has increased to 8,117 after 76 new ones were added, while the death toll remained unchanged at 213, said Hind Ezzine, head of the Department of Epidemic Diseases of the Ministry of Health.

Egypt

Egypt reported on Friday 1,774 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase so far, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 52,211, said the health ministry.

Khaled Megahed, the ministry's spokesman, said 79 more patients died from the coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 2,017, while 400 patients have recovered and were discharged from hospitals, raising the total recoveries to 13,928.

The current eight-hour curfew in Egypt will continue until the end of the month, amid the government's coexistence plan to maintain anti-coronavirus precautionary measures while resuming economic activities.

Egypt plans to resume air traffic in all Egyptian airports from July 1 as the country prepares for the return of foreign tourism, after more than three months of international flight suspension over the coronavirus concerns.

Egyptian cabin crew wearing masks and gloves are pictured in a domestic flight at Cairo International Airport on June 18, 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. (PHOTO / AFP)

South Africa

South Africa on Friday reported 94 people died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest daily death toll, bringing the total nationwide deaths to 1,831.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country rose to 87,715, an increase of 3,825 from Thursday, and the total number of recoveries stood at 47,825, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said in his daily update.

Senegal

Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Actions registered 164 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 5,639 in the country.

The death toll related to COVID-19 rose to 79 with three additional deaths on Thursday.

Senegalese Ministry of Finance and Budget revealed on Friday that the Economic and Social Resilience Program (PRES), initiated to deal with the impact of COVID-19, has transferred some 332.13 billion Francs CFA (about 567 millions U.S. dollars) to relevant companies and sectors by Wednesday.

Gana

Ghana confirmed 274 new infections of the novel coronavirus, bringing the country's caseload to 13,203 on Friday, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said in its latest update.

The number of recoveries increased to 4,548, with 80 additional recoveries.

The GHS data reported four more deaths, increasing the number of COVID-19 related deaths to 70, with 8,585 active cases.

Libya

Libya's National Center for Disease Control Saturday announced 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 520.

In a statement earlier Saturday, the center said it received a total of 825 suspected samples, of which 810 tested negative and 10 positive, adding two more patients have recovered.

Libya has so far recorded 83 recoveries and 10 deaths, the center said.

Algeria

Algeria's confirmed infections reached 11,504 after 119 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours, while the death toll hit 811 and the recoveries reached 8,196.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 4,070 after 116 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Friday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health said.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Health, in a statement issued on Friday, revealed that a total of 4,809 medical tests were conducted within the last 24 hours period.

The ministry also disclosed that seven COVID-19 patients succumbed to the disease on Friday, eventually bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country to 72.