World Coronavirus Dispatch: Weekly global cases set another fresh record

Australia and New Zealand grapple with vaccine rollout, Study says Pfizer and Moderna jabs safe for pregnant women, Covid impact on sleep and other pandemic-related news across the globe

New coronavirus cases worldwide a new weekly record: WHO

New coronavirus cases across the world have set a fresh record last week with more than 5.24 million new cases, according to the World Health Organization. The previous high was in January when 5.04 million new cases were reported. The latest surge is being driven largely by a resurgence in India, where it reported nearly 300,000 new cases on Wednesday alone. The rate at which new coronavirus-related deaths are being reported is also accelerating, according to the WHO. More than 83,000 deaths were reported last week, compared with 76,000 the week before.