COVID-19 treatment in Greater Noida, India. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Over the past 24 hours, more than 357,000 new cases and 4,500 deaths were reported around the world.

The number of infections is sharply increasing in European countries, the world’s latest epicenter.

The US, the UK, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkey are recording new cases from the latest COVID-19 variant.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged all citizens who have been reluctant to get vaccinated to quickly get the shot.