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.

— Jamaica on Tuesday reported 1,714 new cases of COVID-19 and one virus-related death, bringing the total number of cases recorded on the island since the start of the pandemic to 105,172 and the death toll to 2,502.

— In Bermuda, almost 700 new coronavirus infections pushed Bermuda’s active cases to 1,604, just eight short of the highest total recorded since the pandemic hit the island almost two years ago.

— Pfizer on Monday revealed that it expects a COVID-19 vaccine targeting the Omicron variant to be ready in March.

— In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Tuesday hit again by revelations of another lockdown drinks party at Downing Street after an email emerged inviting 100 staff to ‘bring your own booze’.

— The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than half of Europeans are likely to catch the Omicron variant in the next two months if infections continue at the current rate.

— WHO experts also warned Tuesday that repeating booster doses of the original COVID vaccines is not a viable strategy against emerging variants and called for new jabs that better protect against transmission.

— The World Economic Forum warned on Tuesday that unequal access to COVID-19 vaccines is widening the gap between rich countries and the developing world, threatening the cooperation needed to tackle common challenges such as climate change.

— Pope Francis suggested Monday that getting vaccinated against the coronavirus was a “moral obligation” and denounced how people had been swayed by “baseless information” to refuse one of the most effective measures to save lives during the pandemic.

—  Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday confirmed he caught COVID for a second time, hours after appearing hoarse before journalists without a face mask.

— The United States has recorded the most COVID deaths with 839,500, followed by Brazil with 620,091, India on 484,213 and Russia 317,687.

Read the full stories here:

Jamaica continues to register record COVID numbers with 1,714 new cases

Pfizer expects Omicron vaccine to be ready in March

Repeated COVID boosters not a viable strategy — WHO

Unequal vaccine access could hamper climate fight — WEF

Pope on COVID vaccines says health care a ‘moral obligation’

ARE WE FLATTENING THE CURVE?here for interactive chart* with details on Jamaica’s numbers.here for a look at the numbers globally.

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*Data mined from various sources around the world.