
The United Kingdom, the worst-affected European country, crossed 3 million cases last Friday.
The nation is on course to have immunised its most vulnerable people against COVID-19 by mid-February and plans to offer a shot to every adult by autumn.
To control the spread of the new coronavirus variant, countries across the globe have started to extend movement and business restrictions.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers last week agreed to restrict non-essential travel for residents of hard-hit areas all over Germany for the first time, after a lockdown decreed in December failed to significantly reduce infection numbers.
French authorities imposed a stricter evening curfew in Marseille after authorities said the new variant of the COVID-19 virus initially found in the UK had been discovered in the Mediterranean city.
The United States, the world’s worst-affected country, reported its highest death toll on Wednesday, with more than 4000 fatalities in a single day.
The nation has recorded more than 22 million cases since the pandemic started, reporting on average 245,000 new infections a day over the last seven days, according to a Reuters analysis.
In Asia, India crossed 150,000 deaths last Tuesday, becoming the third nation to reach the grim milestone.
The south Asian nation has approved two COVID-19 vaccines and will start its vaccination drive from January 16. Priority will be given to about 30 million healthcare and frontline workers.
Reuters