by The number of new Covid cases globally rose by 20% last week to more than 18 million, marking a slowdown in the surge caused by Omicron, according to the WHO. In its weekly report on the pandemic, the UN agency said thenumber of new infections increased in every world region except for Africa, where cases fell by nearly a third. The number of deaths globally remained similar to the previous week, at about 45,000. Confirmed cases jumped by about 50% the week before last, and earlier this month, WHO reported the biggest single-week increase in cases of the pandemic. (AP)
