People line up to get tested for COVID-19 in Seoul on April 4, 2022. (Photo: Yonhap/VNA)

In the past 24 hours, more than 680,000 new cases were reported worldwide with more than 2,200 deaths.

South Korea had the highest number of new cases, with more than 127,000, while Russia ranked first in the number of new deaths, with 280.

With the number of new infections decreasing around the world, many countries, including South Africa and Uruguay, have lifted states of emergency imposed more than two years ago.