A woman walks along the Strip as the city continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday in Las Vegas. Photo: AFP

Israel said it will reimpose a national lockdown to battle a coronavirus surge, as the number of daily infections around the world reached a record high.

Britain, France, Austria and the Czech Republic also reported spikes, as global cases rapidly approached 30 million with more than 922,000 COVID-19 deaths, according to an AFP tally.

The Israel lockdown will last three weeks starting Friday, keeping people to within 500 meters of their homes. It is the first developed economy to take such drastic steps to contain a second wave of infections.

"I know these measures will exact a heavy price from all of us," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The WHO reported 307,930 new cases worldwide on Sunday, the highest daily figure in its database since the beginning of the pandemic.

The surge has sparked concern in Europe, where Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz warned that his country was facing "the beginning of the second wave."

New coronavirus restrictions were set to come into force across England on Monday, with social gatherings limited to no more than six people.

Other parts of the world are still battling their first coronavirus waves, including some of the most populous nations, such as Indonesia.

Governments are being forced to balance the devastating economic cost of lockdowns with the need to contain the deadly virus.

Schools in some European nations were set to open on Monday, with millions returning to classrooms in Italy, Greece and Romania.

US President Donald Trump is under pressure over his handling of the outbreak, and was slammed for holding big rallies over the weekend, including an indoor event on Sunday.

AFP