KINGSTON, Jamaica — The novel coronavirus has infected more than 261.1 million people, leaving more than 5.2 million dead across 222 countries and territories worldwide.

The majority of those infected have recovered and many countries have rolled out vaccine campaigns as economies start to recover from the pandemic.

— The Ministry of Health and Wellness reported 96 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths on Friday, November 26, bringing the infection total to 91,122 and total deaths to 2,385.

— The Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOH) has imposed restrictions on travellers from eight countries over concerns of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant. The travel ban comes into effect immediately. The countries include Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

— Britain became the latest country Saturday to report cases of the new potentially more contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus as world governments sought to shore up their defenses by slapping restrictions on travel from nations in southern Africa.

— The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced that the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 in Harare, Zimbabwe has been called off due to the introduction of travel restrictions from several African countries, including the host country Zimbabwe, following the breakout of a new COVID-19 variant in southern Africa.