Medical staff treat a Covid-19 patient at a Saint Petersburg hospital, Russia, July 2, 2021 (Photo: AFP/VNA)

The US is still the hardest-hit country, followed by India and Brazil. The country with the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths is Peru, with 611 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Bulgaria and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

By region, Latin America and the Caribbean and Europe have the most deaths, with more than 1.5 million, followed by Asia, North America, Africa, and Oceania. South Korea on Wednesday recorded the most daily infections - 7,200. The same day Japan recorded just 116 new cases, but a third case of the Omicron variant was detected.

A further 90 cases of the new Omicron variant were reported in Britain, bringing the total to 336. France detected 25 cases of the Omicron variant. Croatia confirmed its first 2 cases of the Omicron variant.

So far, the Omicron variant has been detected in more than 40 countries and regions around the world.