Members of the Brazilian Armed Forces disinfect luggage that arrived on a military flight at the airport, in Tabatinga, Amazonas state, northern Brazil, on June 17, 2020, to assist indigenous population amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by AFP)

Globally, as of 10:30 am BJT on Wednesday, there have been 9,239,794 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 476,911 deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Current situation (data as of 10:30 am BJT, June 24):

Chinese authorities have approved a recombinant protein vaccine candidate for COVID-19 for human trials, the Institute of Microbiology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said in a statement.

The United States added 792 deaths in 24 hours, the Johns Hopkins University tally showed Tuesday, as the country's top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci warned there were "historic" challenges ahead.

Latin America and the Caribbean on Tuesday surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths, more than half of them in Brazil, according to an AFP count based on official figures.

Because of the way Washington has handled the pandemic, EU nations may close their borders to US travelers as they seek to reopen their economies to tourism, The New York Times reported Tuesday, citing unnamed European officials.

The COVID-19 pandemic is unravelling decades of health, education and other advances for children across South Asia, and governments must take urgent action to prevent millions of families from slipping back into poverty, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a new report released Tuesday.