Global coronavirus cases top 9 million as outbreak surges in Brazil, India

A railway police official makes an announcement on a loudspeaker telling commuters to stand inside the designated circles to maintain social distancing as they wait to board a train at a railway station after some restrictions were lifted during a lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mumbai, India, June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

Lisa Shumaker-JUNE 22, 2020

(Reuters) - Global cases of the novel coronavirus surpassed 9 million on Monday, as Brazil and India grappled with a surge in infections, and the United States, China and other hard-hit countries reported new outbreaks, according to a Reuters tally.

The first case was reported in China in early January and it took until mid-May to reach 4.5 million cases. It has taken just five weeks to double to 9 million cases, the tally shows.

The United States leads the world with the highest number of infections, at about 2.2 million or 25% of all reported cases.

The tally shows the disease is spreading fastest in Latin America, which now accounts for 23% of all cases.