As of Sunday morning (NZ time), 1.38 million people had died as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 57.8 million infected.
Here are the latest developments.
Americas
US
The number of COVID-19 cases in the US was on track to surpass 12 million on Saturday (local time), just days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday that health experts have warned could fuel the surging spread of infection around the country.
It marks a worsening of the country's COVID-19 epidemic, which has claimed a quarter of a million lives in the US, more than in any other nation, and has prompted more than 20 states to impose sweeping new restrictions this month to try to curb the virus.
Reuters data shows the pace of new infections in the US has quickened, with nearly 1 million more cases recorded in just the pas six days since the country recorded 11 million. This compares with the eight days it took to get from 10 million cases to 11 million cases, and the 10 days it took to get from 9 to 10 million.
Canada
Interim authorisation has been granted to Eli Lilly's antibody drug for treating COVID-19 in patients who are not hospitalised, but are at risk of serious illness because of their age or other conditions, the drugmaker said on Friday.
The news comes weeks after the treatment, bamlanivimab, was given US emergency use authorization (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration for helping newly-diagnosed, high-risk patients avoid hospitalisation.
Bamlanivimab was developed in partnership with the Canadian biotech company AbCellera.
Europe
UK
The UK recorded 19,875 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday (local time) and 341 deaths of people who had tested positive for the virus within 28 days, official data showed.
Both figures marked a drop from Friday's data which showed a daily rise in cases of 20,252 cases and 511 deaths.
Russia
President Vladimir Putin told G20 leaders on Saturday that Russia was ready to provide its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine to other countries who need it.
Serbia
Several thousand worshippers and clergy, some without face masks, filed steadily into a Belgrade church on Saturday to pay their respects to Patriarch Irinej, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who died aged 90 after contracting COVID-19.
Asia
China
President Xi Jinping said on Saturday that China is ready to step up global COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, and called for better international coordination on policies to facilitate the movement of people.
Pharmaceutical companies and research centres around the world are working on potential COVID-19 vaccines, with large global trials of several of the candidates involving tens of thousands of participants underway. China has five home-grown candidates undergoing Phase III trials.
Middle East and Africa
Iran
Tougher restrictions were introduced on Saturday (local time) to stem the third wave of coronavirus infections, including closing non-essential businesses and travel curbs, but state media reported widespread flouting of the rules.
"Tehran streets are crowded despite the restrictions," state TV said on Saturday morning. It said some non-essential businesses were open, but later showed mostly empty streets and shuttered shops.
