People wait to be processed after arriving to receive the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at the newly-opened mass vaccination centre in Tokyo on May 24, 2021. (Photo: AFP)

The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has increased to 3,458,619 with the global confirmed cases reaching 166,930,945 as of 9:30 am BJT on Monday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Current status (data as of 9:30 am BJT, May 24):

Israel's Health Minister Yuli Edelstein on Sunday announced that on June 1, almost all anti-COVID-19 restrictions in the country will be lifted. The minister explained in a statement that the decision was taken "due to the low and stable morbidity in Israel that has been going on for a long time."

Egypt has received the first batch of the raw materials to manufacture China's Sinovac vaccine, said the Chinese embassy in Egypt on Sunday. Along with the Sinovac raw materials, a new shipment of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines also arrived at the Cairo International Airport on Friday, according to a Chinese embassy's statement.

Cuba reported 1,221 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 133,053 infections, as well as 14 more deaths, bringing the death toll to 877, the Ministry of Public Health reported on Sunday.

Argentina's Ministry of Health on Saturday reported another 32,171 cases of COVID-19, bringing the total caseload to 3,514,683. Additionally, another 297 deaths were reported, taking the death toll to 73,688.

Brazil reported on Saturday 1,899 more deaths from COVID-19, raising the national count to 448,208, the Ministry of Health said. A total of 76,490 more infections were detected, raising the nationwide tally to 16,047,439, the ministry said.