KINGSTON, Jamaica — The novel coronavirus has infected more than 267.8 million people, leaving more than 5.4 million dead across 196 countries and territories.

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 735 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths on Tuesday, January 4, bringing the infection total to 97,066 and total deaths to 2,483.

— Opposition spokesperson on Health and Wellness, Dr Morais Guy, is calling on the Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton to remove the limit on COVID-19 testing at government facilities and ensure that as many persons as possible are tested each day.

— Barbados says travellers will be allowed to enter the island with a valid negative Rapid PCR coronavirus (COVID-19) test result, 24 hours prior to arrival, or a negative Standard RT-PCR COVID-19 test result, done within three days prior to their arrival on the island.

— Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has tested positive for COVID-19 but has no serious symptoms, an aide said Wednesday.

— Liverpool closed their training ground on Wednesday after “multiple new” coronavirus cases including a positive test result for assistant manager Pep Lijnders, throwing their League Cup semi-final at Arsenal into further doubt.

— Germany’s BioNTech and US pharma giant Pfizer, which partnered up to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in record time, said Wednesday they are working on a shingles vaccine using the same breakthrough mRNA technology.

— The United States is the worst-affected country with 794,648 deaths from 49,664,506 cases followed by Brazil with 616,457 deaths from 22,177,059 cases, India with 474,735 deaths from 34,674,744 cases, Mexico with 296,188 deaths from 3,911,714 cases, and Russia with 287,180 deaths from 9,956,679 cases.

Read full stories:

735 new COVID-19 cases, four deaths reported

Guy calls for increase in COVID-19 testing

Barbados announces new entry measures as COVID cases increase

Poland’s president tests positive for COVID for 2nd time

Liverpool shut training ground as COVID crisis deepens

Pfizer and BioNTech to develop mRNA-based shingles jab