A volunteer (L) uses an oximeter to check the saturation of oxygen on a patient (R) with COVID-19 symptoms before a consultation with a volunteer doctor at a community centre temporarily used as an outpatient department at Ghitorni village in New Delhi on May 27, 2021. (Photo: AFP)

The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has increased to 3,506,324 with the global confirmed cases reaching 168,748,430 as of 9 am BJT on Friday, according to a tally by the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University.

Source: Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University

Current status (data as of 9 am BJT, May 28):

The Covax global vaccine-sharing programme said Thursday it needs $2.0 billion in additional funding by the beginning of June in order to boost coronavirus inoculation programmes in lower-income countries.

Romanian Prime Minister Florin Citu announced late Thursday a series of relaxation measures that will enter into force on June 1, reopening bars, clubs, discos and game rooms while allowing more people at cultural and sports events.

The daily count of positive COVID-19 samples, as a proportion of tests taken, has hit record high in Denmark since the end of January as 1,119 infections were recorded from 160,549 tests taken, according to Thursday's figures from the Statens Serum Institut (SSI).

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Thursday that almost half, and possibly three-quarters, of all new cases in Britain are of the India-related variant.

Immunity to the coronavirus lasts at least a year, possibly a lifetime, improving over time especially after vaccination -- the findings may "help put to rest lingering fears that protection against the virus will be short-lived," reported The New York Times on Thursday over the results of two new studies.