Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
10 EU Nations Causing 'Very High Concern'
10 countries in the 27-member European Union (EU) face a COVID situation of "very high concern", the bloc's diseases agency says, warning the pandemic is worsening across the continent.
In its weekly risk assessment, the European Centre for Disease Control lists Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia in its highest category of concern.
'Partial Lockdown' In Netherlands
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announces Western Europe's first partial lockdown of the winter, with three weeks of COVID curbs on restaurants, shops and sporting events, as cases hit record levels.
Germans Told To Skip Big Parties
Germans should avoid large gatherings amid a record surge in infections, the country's health agency chief says, adding that he would be skipping New Year's parties.
Russia To Introduce Health Passes
The Russian government has submitted two bills to parliament that will introduce mandatory health passes to access restaurants and public transport, amid a new wave of coronavirus cases.
With more than 8.9 million cases registered since the start of the pandemic, Russia is one of the worst-hit countries in the world and a devastating wave this autumn has seen infections and deaths reach new records.
Norway Goes Back To Curbs
Norway is reintroducing virus curbs short of a lockdown and authorising towns to use health passes as it tries to stop a spike in cases.
Austria Plans Lockdown For The Unvaccinated
Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg says he wants to introduce a nationwide lockdown for those not vaccinated against or recovered from the coronavirus, as cases hit record highs.
Only around 65 percent of the population is fully vaccinated in Austria, a rate described by Schallenberg as "shamefully low".
WHO Urges More Targeted Vaccination Efforts
The World Health Organization (WHO) calls for more targeted vaccination efforts to ensure the most vulnerable worldwide get the jabs.
"It makes no sense to give boosters to healthy adults, or to vaccinate children, when health workers, older people and other high-risk groups around the world are still waiting for their first dose," says WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
APEC To Cut Vaccine Tariffs
Pacific Rim leaders agree, at a virtual summit, to cut tariffs on COVID-19 vaccines and other pandemic-related medical supplies to streamline the international response to the deadly health crisis.
More Than Five Million Dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,078,208 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Friday.
The US has suffered the most COVID-related deaths with 759,677, followed by Brazil with 610,224, India with 462,690, Mexico 290,630 and Russia 252,926.
The countries with the most new deaths were Russia with 1,235, followed by the US with 815 and Ukraine with 750.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.