The total number of Covid-19 cases registered worldwide passed 300 million on Friday, with the Omicron variant’s rapid spread setting new infection records in dozens of countries over the last week.
In the past seven days, 34 countries have recorded their highest number of weekly cases since the start of the pandemic, including 18 nations in Europe and seven in Africa, according to an AFP count based on official figures.
Even as it spurred the world to record 13.5 million cases in the last week alone — 64 per cent higher than the previous seven days — the global average of deaths dropped three per cent.
However, with a global average of two million new cases being detected daily, experts warn the sheer numbers threaten to overwhelm health systems.
