Here's the latest on the pandemic from around the world.
Europe
UK
Britain on Sunday reported 45,140 new cases of COVID-19, the highest daily number since the middle of July, and 57 new deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official data.
Italy
Italy reported 24 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, up from 14the previous day, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections fell to 2437 from 2983.
Italy has registered 131,541 deaths linked to COVID-19 since the outbreak in February last year. It has the second highest toll in Europe behind Britain, and the ninth highest in the world.
The number of patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 2386 on Sunday, up from 2371 a day earlier.
The number of patients in intensive care with COVID-19 fell to 349 from 352.
Some 381,051 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the space of 24 hours, compared with a previous 472,535, the health ministry said.
Russia
Russia reported a record 1002 deaths from coronavirus on Saturday, the first time the daily number has passed the 1000-mark since the start of the pandemic.
New COVID-19 cases, confirmed in the past 24 hours, were at 33,208, setting a record for the fifth consecutive day, the Russian coronavirus task force said.
Russian authorities blame a slow vaccination campaign for the sharp rise of infections and deaths, which forced the health ministry this week to ask retired vaccinated medics to return to hospitals.
Russia estimates that 45 percent of its population may have an immunity to the novel coronavirus after receiving a vaccine or recovering from the illness, data published by the coronavirus task force on Saturday showed. In Moscow the figure is 61 percent and is at 64 percent in the region surrounding the capital.
Americas
United States
The United States has administered 408,265,959 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Sunday morning, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
The figures are up from the 407,446,961 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone into arms by Oct. 16.
The agency said 218,805,579 people had received at least one dose while 189,141,481 people were fully vaccinated as of 6 a.m. ET Sunday.
The CDC tally includes two-dose vaccines from Moderna (MRNA.O) and Pfizer/BioNTech (PFE.N), , and Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ.N) one-shot vaccine.
Over 10.5 million people have received a booster dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine since Aug. 13, when the U.S. authorized a third dose of the vaccines for those with compromised immune systems. The authorization for booster shots has since been broadened to a wider population.
Asia-Pacific
Australia
Melbourne, which has spent more time under COVID-19 lockdowns than any other city in the world, is set to lift its stay-at-home orders this week, officials said on Sunday.
By Friday, when some curbs will be lifted, the Australian city of 5 million people will have been under six lockdowns totalling 262 days, or nearly nine months, since March 2020.
Australian and other media say this is the longest in the world, exceeding a 234-day lockdown in Buenos Aires.
While coronavirus cases keep rising in Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, the state's double-vaccination rate is set to reach 70 percent this week, allowing for the ease in restrictions.
"Today is a great day," said Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews in announcing the lockdown. "Today is a day when Victorians can be proud of what they have achieved."
When hospitality venues and some businesses reopen, their capacity will remain heavily restricted. More easing, including the reopening of many retailers, will come once 80 percent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated - estimated by Nov. 5 at the latest.
Middle East and Africa
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates on Sunday recorded a drop in daily COVID-19 cases to below 100 for the first time since the start of the outbreak last year as it hosts a huge world fair to which it hopes to attract millions of visits.
The Health Ministry reported 99 new cases, down from a peak of nearly 4000 a day in January. The UAE's cumulative death toll stands at 2120.
The regional tourism and business hub, which still largely requires masks in public places, has one of the world's highest immunisation rates.
Around 96 percent of the population of roughly 10 million have received one vaccine dose, while some 86 percent are fully vaccinated, according to latest official data.
Reuters
