More than 20 million coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)  have been now been reported  around the world, over half in the Americas, according to an AFP tally of official sources at 2215 GMT on Monday.

At least 20,002,577 cases and 733,842 deaths have now been reported. More than four out of 10 coronavirus cases have been in the United States and Brazil, the two most affected countries in the world.

While the US has logged 5,075,678 cases and 163,282 deaths, Brazil has recorded 3,057,470 infections and 101,752 deaths.

The Philippines on Monday once again logged a record-high number of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases after the Department of Health (DOH) announced 6,958 new infections, raising the total to 136,638.

This marks the 12th consecutive day in which more than 3,000 new cases were reported and the second time that new cases breached the 6,000 mark.

The five provinces with the highest number of new cases were Metro Manila with 4,163, Laguna with 400, Rizal with 363, Cavite with 312, and Bulacan with 178.

Among the newly reported cases, 5,789 contracted COVID-19 between July 28 and August 10, 993 caught the virus from July 1 to 27, 29 fell ill in June, 35 in May, 69 in April, and 43 in March.

Total recoveries also rose to 68,159 after 633 more patients recovered from the respiratory disease, while the death toll climbed to 2,293 with 24 new fatalities./Stacy Ang with reports from AFP