COVID Death Toll Exceeds 3 Million Count Worldwide
ICU technician Rae Harris (L) and nursing assistant Kylee Samuelson transport the body of a deceased COVID-19 patient in an elevator on the way to the morgue at Sharp Grossmont Hospital on December 14, 2020 in La Mesa, California. According to state figures, Southern California, which includes San Diego County, currently has only 1.7 percent of its ICU (Intensive Care Unit) bed capacity remaining amid a spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Sharp HealthCare is the largest health system in San Diego County. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A recent John Hopkins University tally noted that the COVID death toll worldwide has surpassed three million.

Out of the total number, more than 566,000 of those deaths have been in the United States. The county is now seeing a peak in COVID cases despite vaccination efforts, according to a CBS News report.

Dr. David Ho of Columbia University said that good thing the vaccine rollout is in a great pace.

"The bad news is that the variants are emerging everywhere," Ho was quoted in a report.

The rise in deaths have resulted in the World Health Organization issuing a warning, noting that it is growing exponentially.

WHO Technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said that this is not the situation they want to be in 16 months into a pandemic where they have proven control measures.

"It is time right now where everyone has to take stock and have a reality check about what we need to be doing," Van Kerkhove was quoted in The Hill report.

COVID Death Toll

More deaths have been reported in the United States as compared to any other country.

The U.S. is followed by Brazil with more than 368,000 deaths; next is Mexico with over 211,00; and India with around 175,000.

Cases in India have spiked in February after seeing a steady decline in the cases, according to an Associated Press report.

In New Delhi, only 178 ventilators were free on Wednesday afternoon. The city has a population of 29 million, with 13,000 infections reported last week.

Meanwhile, several countries in Europe, particularly Turkey, France, and Germany are seeing a peak in infections.

Turkish officials have implemented new measures to curb the spread of the virus, including banning traditional Ramadan gatherings and restricting travel, according to a BBC News report.

France currently has the third most number of cases in a European country, next to UK and Italy.

Meanwhile, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico have all recorded more than two million cases.

Mexico published a revised death toll, noting that COVID fatalities was more than 60 percent higher.

Global Vaccination Programs

The WHO said that up to 60 countries might not receive any more shots until June.

Meanwhile, over 100 countries have also received about 40 million doses of the COVAX vaccine.

This covers 0.25 percent of the world's population.

Rich countries around the world have already received about 86 percent of the 700 million doses, while poorer countries are relying more on vaccines made by China and Russia.

Scientists believe those vaccines have less protection against the virus as compared to those made by Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca.

Vaccine makers in the U.S. are preparing for booster shots to fight off the emerging variants.

The country's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that there are already ongoing clinical trials to boost the vaccine, while targeting a specific variant.

WATCH: Global COVID-19 death toll passes 3-million mark - from DW News