The global COVID-19 death toll passed 3 million over the weekend as the pandemic sped up despite vaccination campaigns, leading countries such as India to impose new lockdowns to fight spiraling infection numbers.
An average of more than 12,000 deaths were recorded globally every day in the past week, shooting the overall toll past three million on Saturday, according to an AFP tally.
The United States is the worst-affected country with 566,904 deaths, followed by Brazil with 371,678 deaths, Mexico with 212,228 deaths, India with 177,150 deaths and Britain with 127,260.
And the pandemic is showing no sign of slowing down: the 829,596 new infections reported worldwide on Friday is the highest number yet, according to AFP's tally. The daily average of 731,000 cases registered over the last week is also close to being a record.
Canada reports 2nd blot clot case
Canadian health authorities said Saturday the country has recorded a second case of rare but serious blood clotting linked to AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, but still recommend the shot for use.
The patient, who lives in the western province of Alberta and received a version of the AstraZeneca vaccine supplied by the Serum Institute of India, "has received treatment and is recovering," Canadian health authorities wrote on Twitter.
Canada reported its first case of blood clotting associated with low platelets on Tuesday in a Quebec woman who received the same shot.
Blood clot formations linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine "remain very rare" and Canada still believes that the vaccine's benefits "outweigh the potential risks," Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada said.
Germany honors 80,000 dead
Germany held a national memorial service on Sunday for its nearly 80,000 victims of the coronavirus pandemic, putting aside deep divisions over COVID restrictions to share the pain of grieving families.
Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined an ecumenical service in the morning at Berlin's Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a memorial against war and destruction.
They will later attend a ceremony at the capital's Konzerthaus concert hall, where the president will make a speech.
"Sickness, dying and death cannot be just pushed away in this long year, they have cut deeply into the lives of many people," said Georg Baetzing, the chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, at the morning service.
With pandemic curbs still in force restricting the number of people who can attend, the ceremonies were being broadcast live on public television.
"As president I believe it is very important for us to stop to say goodbye in dignity to those who died during the pandemic – including those who did not fall victim to the virus but who also died in loneliness," said Steinmeier as he announced the national service.