The world recorded 80,160,194 cases of infection and 1,756,367 people died due to Covid-19, an increase of 487,476 and 8,476 cases a day respectively, while 56,432,813 people have recovered, according to the real-time update site Worldometers
A medical worker in Lima, Peru on December 11.
The US, the largest epidemic region in the world, recorded an additional 122,259 cases of infection and 1,556 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 19,201,750, of which 338,195 people have died.
The US has ordered an additional 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the goods are expected to be delivered before July 31, 2021, bringing the total number of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses the US purchased to 200 million, with a contract value of nearly 4 billion USD.
The US Congress has passed a new spending bill, including $900 million to support Covid-19.
US officials from December 28 required passengers boarding flights from the UK to this country to present negative test results for nCoV within 72 hours before departure.
India, the second largest epidemic area in the world, reported an additional 22,350 cases of infection and 251 deaths, bringing the total number of people infected and dead from Covid-19 to 10,169,818 and 147,379 respectively.
Indian officials announced the suspension of all flights from the UK from December 23 until December 31.
Brazil, the third largest epidemic area in the world, recorded 456 more deaths from Covid-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 190,488.
The Brazilian government plans to vaccinate 51 million people, or about a quarter of the population, with Covid-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021. Butantan Institute on December 23 announced that the Chinese vaccine CoronaVac tested in this country met the requirements.
CoronaVac has been the subject of political controversy in Brazil.
The UK recorded 2,221,312 cases of infection and 70,195 deaths, an increase of 32,725 and 570 respectively. A series of European and Asian countries have banned all flights, or tightened control of passengers from the UK after the discovery of the nCoV strain.
Health Minister Matt Hancock said on December 23 that the UK recorded a new strain of nCoV from South Africa.
He announced that the UK `imposes travel restrictions on South Africa immediately` and that more areas in the east and southeast of England have been added to the list of Level 4 restrictions, equivalent to a blockade, from September 1.
France, the fifth largest epidemic area in the world, recorded an additional 20,262 cases of infection and 159 deaths, bringing infections and deaths to 2,547,771 and 62,427 respectively.
The French government said they will still allow EU citizens from the UK to enter the country if they test negative for Covid-19, despite the new strain of nCoV breaking out in the UK.
On December 25, France recorded the first case of infection with a new strain of nCoV from the UK in this country, a French citizen living in the UK.
Germany reported 18,411 new infections and 287 new deaths, bringing the total to 1,614,326 and 29,681 respectively.
Germany on December 24 announced it had recorded the first case of the Covid-19 variant appearing in the UK, a woman from London.
The German government imposed a partial blockade from December 16 to curb the spread of nCoV, which seems to be out of control.
Iran, one of the largest epidemic areas in the Middle East, reported 54,440 deaths, an increase of 132, out of a total of 1,189,203 cases, an increase of 6,021.
President Hassan Rouhani said Iran is still unable to buy Covid-19 vaccines because banks are not willing to process transactions, due to concerns about violating US sanctions, despite vaccines and other humanitarian items being delivered.
Korean nCoV infections increased to a record on Christmas day: 1,241 new cases in 24 hours, bringing the total to 54,770, of which 773 died, an increase of 17 cases compared to the previous day.
New cases in recent weeks have also originated in a variety of locations and communities, including long-term care facilities, prisons, military barracks, churches and schools.
South Korea, once considered the world’s model for fighting Covid-19, is expanding its mass testing program, with free testing in the greater Seoul area until January 3.
In an effort to contain the pandemic, the government issued a ban on private gatherings of more than 4 people in the greater Seoul area from December 23 to January 3.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the largest epidemic area in the region with 700,097 cases, an increase of 7,259, of which 20,847 deaths, an increase of 258. President Joko Widodo announced that he will be the first person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in Indonesia and
Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world with about 270 million people, received the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine including 1.2 million doses from China’s Sinovac company on December 6.
The Philippines reported 467,601 cases of infection and 9,062 deaths, an increase of 1,885 and 7 cases respectively, making it the second largest epidemic in the region.
The government banned all flights from the UK from December 24 to December 31.
They plan to buy 25 million doses of vaccine from Chinese company Sinovac Biotech and aim to buy between 4-25 million doses of vaccine from Moderna and Arcturus Therapeutics.
In a Christmas message posted on Twitter, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that millions of people have had to sacrifice the joy of celebrating the New Year by avoiding contact with loved ones at Christmas and that there are families who have lost loved ones.
He emphasized that people around the world need to comply with epidemic prevention regulations during the holidays.
`We must not squander their sacrifices, as well as the sacrifices of so many families, who this holiday season will sit at the family table without a familiar face.`
`Even though we have lost a lot, we also hold a lot of hope. Vaccines are providing the world with a way out of this tragedy. But it will take time for the whole world to be vaccinated,` Tedros added.