The number of Covid-related deaths, registered worldwide in the past seven days, grew 30% compared to the previous seven-day period, reaching about 70,000, according to TASS calculations.

The number of confirmed cases all over the globe stands at 3.7 million, compared to 3.5 million a week earlier.

The pace of infection has intensified in various parts of the world. In the US, the number of confirmed cases registered daily more than tripled in the reported period, exceeding 60,000 daily. It may be the start of the fourth Covid-19 wave in the country.

Indonesia and Malaysia have reached the peak of the outbreak with about 45,000 and 12,000 new cases registered daily. At the same time, the situation is worsening in other parts of Asia. Iran is now reporting about 25,000 confirmed cases daily – the country's all-time high since the start of the pandemic – and Turkey – almost 10,000 – twice as high as during the previous week.

Read: Global Covid cases top 193 million

New wave in Europe

A new wave of the pandemic reached Europe, primarily its western regions. The daily number of confirmed cases almost doubled in Italy, to 5,500 cases per day, and the authorities have started to impose new restrictions.

From early August, citizens will be allowed to visit cafes, gyms, museums and public events only if they obtained a "Covid passport," issued to vaccinated persons, convalescents and people with negative PCR tests.

Similar measures have already been introduced in France, where the daily number of confirmed cases tripled since the previous week. On Thursday, more than 21,000 Covid-19 cases were registered in the country, the biggest single-day tally since early May.

The UK has recorded the highest number of cases in Europe. In the past week, the country's daily case count exceeded 50,000 twice. Overall, about 320,000 people contracted the infection in the UK in the past week.

The pace of the infection is growing in other European countries as well. For example, cases in Germany increased 45% in the past week compared to the previous week, and 20% in Spain.

Read: Chinese COVID shot may offer elderly poor protection

Fatalities spike

The Covid-19 mortality is on the rise primarily in Asia, with Indonesia being hit hardest, registering about 1,300 deaths per day. Iran and Malaysia report about 200 Covid fatalities daily.

However, mortality is declining in the majority of Latin American countries, which went through the second wave of the pandemic in spring and early summer. For example, Brazil is registering about 1,100 cases daily, the lowest number since February.

Despite a sharp increase in cases, mortality remains low in European countries.

However, the overall mortality from the novel coronavirus infection is now declining and currently stands at approximately 2.15%.