Youth wearing protective face masks walk on a snow-covered Red Square in Moscow downtown on November 26, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Photo: AFP)

The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide has increased to 1,429,733 with the global confirmed cases reaching 60,860,169 as of 10 am BJT on Friday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Current status (data as of 10 am BJT, Nov 27):

The British government said on Friday it has asked its independent medicines regulator to assess AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine as part of the formal approval process for the drug to be rolled out by the end of the year.

Following rising COVID-19 infection rates in Germany, the federal and state governments decided on Nov. 25 that the partial lockdown, including the closure of restaurants, bars, theaters and leisure facilities, would be extended until Dec. 20.

Nearly 90,000 COVID-19 patients are in hospitals across the United States as of Thursday, the Thanksgiving day, reaching a new all-time high for the 16th consecutive day, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Wednesday's death toll climbed to 2,284 cases, the highest since May 7, also the 7th highest daily death total to data.

Ecuador and Colombia on Thursday announced they were coordinating the gradual reopening of their shared border to reactivate their economies and tourism amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

France's new COVID-19 infections slowed to 13,563 on Thursday, while hospital admissions continued to fall as the government is unwinding restrictions and planning the vaccination campaign, official data showed.