WHO: Global COVID Cases up 11 Percent Last Week, Omicron Risk High

WHO: Global COVID Cases up 11 Percent Last Week, Omicron Risk High
Medical workers wearing protective gear prepare to take samples at a temporary screening clinic for the coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 29, 2021. Lee Jin-man/AP Photo
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BERLIN—The World Health Organization says the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11 percent last week compared with the previous week, with the biggest increase in the Americas. The gain followed a gradual increase since October.

The U.N. health agency said in its weekly epidemiological report released late Tuesday that there were nearly 4.99 million newly reported cases around the world from Dec. 20-26.