The US with 50 million, India with 22 million, and Brazil with 34.6 million cases are the three hardest-hit countries.

Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno said the Indonesian government will ban all types of New Year's celebrations at hotels, shopping centers and malls, tourist attractions, and other public places.

Slovak Minister of Health Vladimír Lengvarský has proposed extending Slovakia’s current two-week lockdown for another week.

In South Africa, scientists say the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic there is very different from previous waves, resulting in more daily infections.