A COVID-19 variant-driven "tsunami" is threatening to overwhelm healthcare systems, the World Health Organization(WHO) has warned, as cases surge across the world to record levels.
The statements of WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came as the United States and countries throughout Europe reported a surge in new cases.
For the second day in a row, France reported the highest daily figure in Europe, with 208,000 cases.
According to Johns Hopkins, the US has reported a record average of 265,427 cases each day over the last week.
Denmark, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Australia have all reported new highs.
On Wednesday, Poland recorded 794 Covid-related deaths, the largest number in the pandemic's fourth wave.
Unvaccinated people made up more than three-quarters of the population.
Omicron, which has swiftly grown dominant in a number of countries, is thought to be milder than Delta, but significantly more contagious.
It's thought to be the cause of the uptick in instances, with French people playing a key role.