Revellers are seen in the street after pubs closed in Leeds, northern England on Wednesday, on the eve of a second COVID-19 lockdown. Photo: AFP

More than 99,000 novel coronavirus cases were recorded in the US in the past 24 hours, a new daily record, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The country reported 99,660 new coronavirus infections between 8:30 pm Tuesday and 8:30 pm Wednesday (0130 GMT), and 1,112 deaths, the tally by the Baltimore-based school showed one day after Americans voted to choose their next president. 

About 9.6 million people have been infected and 234,000 have died in the US so far during the pandemic, by far the worst tolls in absolute terms globally.

Cases have been surging to record highs across the country since mid-October, especially in the North and the Midwest.

Health officials in some states have already sounded warnings about their ability to handle an influx in hospitalizations as the winter flu season looms.

The pandemic has also slammed the US economy, fueling a historic contraction in growth and tens of millions of job losses.

It also impacted the US election, with more than 100 million voters casting their ballot by mail or in person before Election Day on Tuesday - the highest number of early voters ever.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also rampaging in Europe as the continent just topped 11 million cases.

After downing a final round of drinks, queueing outside soon-to-close shops or getting a last haircut, England's 56 million people entered a second coronavirus lockdown on Thursday with more doubts about the stringent policy than the first time around.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson abandoned a recently introduced system of regional curbs and announced an England-wide shutdown, after dire warnings that hospitals could soon be overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. The death toll is hitting six-month highs.

But while opinion polls suggest overall public backing for the stay-at-home policy, concerns are mounting about the impact on the economy and on mental health. 

A sizeable minority of 32 Conservative members of parliament voted against the measures on Wednesday.

AFP