KINGSTON, Jamaica — The novel coronavirus has infected more than 267.8 million people, leaving more than 5.5 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 Thursday reported 1,342 new cases of COVID-19 and eight virus-related deaths, bringing the total number of cases recorded on the island since the start of the pandemic to 107,721 and the death toll to 2,514.

— In St Vincent, parliament suspended a budget debate until Friday after Health Minister St Clair “Jimmy” Prince, became the eighth government legislator to test positive for the coronavirus.

— With COVID-19 infections accelerating in the Americas and the detection of the Omicron variant in at least 42 countries and territories in the region, Pan American Health Organization Director Dr Carissa Etienne on Thursday called on countries to ensure health workers have access to protective equipment and additional vaccine doses where available.

— In the United States, President Joe Biden on Thursday said the government will double its purchase of COVID-19 tests with an extra 500 million kits, bringing the total to one billion.

— Hundreds of thousands of Indian pilgrims began packing an island in the Ganges on Thursday for a vast religious festival as COVID-19 cases surge nationwide, prompting fears of a superspreader event.

— The United States has recorded the most COVID deaths with 843,624, followed by Brazil with 620,371, India on 485,035 and Russia 319,172.

Read the full stories here:

Eight more COVID-19 deaths, over 1,300 new cases

PAHO says healthcare workers must be protected amid COVID-19 surge

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.