GENEVA, July 1 (AFP) - The global coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday (Jul 1), with the number of daily cases surging beyond 160,000 every day in the past week, a record.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also told a virtual briefing that well over half of all cases recorded since the novel coronavirus first emerged in China late last year were registered in June.

"For the past week, the number of the new cases has exceeded 160,000 on every single day," he said, adding that "60 per cent of all cases so far have been reported just in the past month."

Data provided by the UN health agency showed that the highest number of new daily COVID-19 cases ever recorded came on Jun 28, when more than 189,500 new cases were registered worldwide.

Prior to Jun 25, daily cases only surpassed 160,000 twice before, both in the preceding week, while daily cases did not pass the 100,000 mark until May 18, the data showed.

With over 511,000 deaths and more than 10.5 million known infections worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic is "not even close to being over", the WHO warned earlier this week.

Tedros reiterated that taking a "comprehensive approach" was the best way to rein in the virus.

"Find, isolate, test and care for every case, trace and quarantine every contact, equip and train health workers and educate and empower communities to protect themselves and others," he said.

"Not testing alone. Not physical distancing alone. Not contact tracing alone. Not masks alone. Do it all."

Countries that have implemented a wide range of measures, including contact tracing, isolation, physical distancing and mask wearing "have suppressed transmission and saved lives", he said.