Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis:
Pfizer says pill 89% effective
Pfizer says a clinical trial of its first pill to treat COVID-19 shows it achieved an 89 per cent reduction in risk of hospitalisation or death among adult patients with COVID at high risk of progressing to severe illness.
US jobs boost
More than 531,000 Americans went back to work in October as COVID-19 cases receded, indicating the world's largest economy had overcome the obstacle posed by the Delta wave of the virus.
German boosters for all call
Germany's federal and regional health ministers call for COVID booster jabs for all as the country registers a record rise in new infections for the second day running.
The hard-hit German state of Saxony announces sweeping new curbs for people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or recovered from the disease.
France sticks with COVID pass
France's lower house of parliament votes to allow the government to make use of a health pass to fight against COVID-19 till July 31, 2022. President Emmanuel Macron is to address the nation on Tuesday.
Iceland tightens rules
Iceland says it will tighten its COVID rules in the battle against a rise in new cases, including capping gatherings and wearing masks in crowded areas.
Danish hospitals under strain
Health authorities in Denmark express concern that the hospital system is about to be overwhelmed given a resurgence in COVID-19 cases in the kingdom, where the last health restrictions were lifted a month ago.
More than five million dead
The coronavirus has killed at least 5,028,536 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP on Friday.
The US has suffered the most COVID-related deaths with 751,555, followed by Brazil with 608,671, India with 459,873, Mexico with 289,131 and Russia with 244,447.
The countries with the most new deaths are Russia with 1,192, closely followed by the United States with 1,158 and Bulgaria 1,135.
Taking into account excess mortality linked to COVID-19, the WHO estimates the overall death toll could be two to three times higher.