WHO reports over 5,400 new COVID-19 deaths globally as total nears 260,000

Geneva: More than 87,000 new coronavirus infection cases have been reported worldwide over the past 24 hours, and more than 5,400 people have died from the infection in the given period, the World Health Organization said on Friday.

The global case count has increased by 87,729 to a cumulative total of 3,759,967 cases, according to the latest situation report. The death toll has increased by 5,429 in the 24-hour period to late Friday, taking the total to 259,474 fatalities.

The plurality of cases — 1.65 million — remain concentrated in Europe. The United States continues being the country with the highest single count of cases (1.2 million) and fatalities (67,146). (Sputnik/ANI)