The novel coronavirus has killed at least 1 305 039 people since emerging in China late last year, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources at 11:00 GMT Saturday.
At least 53 438 640 cases have been registered. Of these, at least 34 324 500 are now considered recovered.
The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organisation (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.
Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases.
New York shuts schools
The US city worst hit by the first wave of the pandemic is closing schools from Monday after the infection rate spiked.
Bars and restaurants in "the city that never sleeps" have also been forced to close at 22:00. More than 23 000 New Yorkers died in the first wave.
Greece follows suit
With hospitals saturated with Covid-19 cases, Greece is also shutting its schools and kindergartens until the end of the month.
Lebanon locks down
Beirut's usually traffic-snarled streets were almost empty Saturday as the country went into a two-week lockdown with a nighttime curfew beginning at 17:00.
Czech crematoriums struggle
Faced with the highest death rate in Europe from the virus, Czech crematoriums are struggling to keep up.
Since the end of October some 200 people a day have been dying in the Central European nation of 10.7 million people, which was only lightly touched by the first wave.
Deaths top 1.3 million
The novel coronavirus has killed at least 1 305 039 people since emerging in China late last year, according to a tally compiled by AFP from official sources at 11:00 Saturday.
Some 9 995 new deaths and 660 538 new cases were recorded worldwide Friday. The countries with the most new deaths were the United States with 1 596, followed by France with 932 and Mexico with 568.
The US is also the worst-affected country with 244 364 deaths followed by Brazil with 164 737, India with 129 188, Mexico with 97 624 and the United Kingdom with 51 304.
Virus avoids Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan's strongman leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov insists his country has never had a coronavirus case as he opens a new hospital for infectious diseases.
Authorities urged people to wear masks in July due to "pathogens" and "high concentrations of dust" in the air.
Beyond Pacific island nations, only Turkmenistan and North Korea have yet to report a case of the virus.
Ukraine's quiet weekends
Restaurants, shopping centres, sports centres and non-essential stores close for the next three weekends across the eastern European country.
Italy and Portugal also step up restrictions with the Naples and Tuscany regions partially locked down.