People wearing face masks as a precaution against the coronavirus walk along a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020. (Photo: AP)

The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has increased to 1,559,092 with the global confirmed cases reaching 68,321,808 as of 6:30 pm BJT on Wednesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Data source: Johns Hopkins University

Current status (data as of 6:30 pm BJT, December 9)：

Malaysia reported 959 new COVID-19 infections, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, bringing the national total to 76,265. Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press briefing that six of the new cases are imported and 953 are local transmissions. Five new deaths have been reported, pushing the death toll to 393.

Italy reported on Tuesday 14,837 new COVID-19 cases, bringing its tally to 1,757,394, according to the country's health authorities. The health ministry also confirmed 634 new fatalities from the virus over the past day. Italy's total COVID-19 death toll now stands at 61,240.

Canada reported 5,981 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, bringing the nationwide tally to 429,035, according to a report by the Canadian Press. The country also reported 90 more deaths from the virus, and the total death toll now stands at 12,867, said the report by Canada's national news agency.

Thailand on Wednesday recorded 25 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in the highest daily spike in months, raising its total tally to 4,151, according to its Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

Belgium's COVID-19 cases have totaled 594,572 by Wednesday morning, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The country's death toll from the disease has risen to 17,507, according to the data.