BANGKOK (AP) — The official global death toll from COVID-19 is on the verge of eclipsing 6 million — underscoring that the pandemic, now entering its third year, is far from over. The milestone is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic even as people are shedding masks, travel is resuming and businesses are reopening around the globe.
Highlights
- The official global death toll from COVID-19 is on the verge of eclipsing 6 million.
- The milestone is the latest tragic reminder of the unrelenting nature of the pandemic.
- The death toll, compiled by Johns Hopkins University, stood at 5,997,994 as of Sunday afternoon.
- Remote Pacific islands, whose isolation had protected them for more than two years, are just now grappling with their first outbreaks and deaths.
- Death rates worldwide are still highest among people unvaccinated against the virus, said Tikki Pang, a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore’s medical school.
- The U.S.