A total of 1 million people have died with COVID-19 this year, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said at a news briefing on Thursday.

"Once again, we ask all governments to strengthen their efforts to vaccinate all health workers, older people and others at the highest risk, on the way to 70 percent vaccine coverage for the whole population," Ghebreyesus added.