"Obviously we're hoping very much that we'll be able to avoid anything like that," Johnson told reporters. "But the reality is that the rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks."
Announcing the agency had secured nearly two billion doses of vaccine candidates, the WHO said in a statement that this would "enable all participating economies to have access to doses in the first half of 2021, with first deliveries anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2021."
Separately, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said Ukraine wanted to resume production of its own vaccine candidate and a clinical trial was being prepared, without giving details.
The total number of confirmed cases in Switzerland and neighbouring principality Liechtenstein increased to 403,989, the death toll rose by 120 to 6,003, and 184 new hospitalisations kept pressure on the health care system.
But the wooden ship has been docked after new measures to stem a fourth wave of the coronavirus were introduced earlier this month, threatening the city's last remaining antique junk.
Hungary's economy took a big hit in the pandemic, and the government expects gross domestic output to shrink by about 6% in 2020 followed by a modest rebound in 2021.
The dollar index recovered on the day and was last up 0.2pc just short of 90, but remained on track for a fall of 1pc over the week. It had reached its lowest in more than two years at 89.723 on Thursday.
Pakistan had a rocky preparation for the match when 10 of their touring party tested positive for Covid-19 during quarantine after arriving in New Zealand.
As the coronavirus pandemic roared to new record highs across the United States, it lit a fire in the U.S. Congress, where Republicans and Democrats were scrambling to pass a new round of aid after months of partisan finger-pointing and inaction.
Multiple lawmakers floated the possibility the federal government would run out of money early Saturday morning while the COVID-19 relief negotiations continue.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures slipped 14 cents or 0.29pc, to $48.22 a barrel at 0757 GMT, while Brent crude futures fell 20 cents, or 0.39pc, to $51.30.
Years of ultra-low interest rates have crushed commercial banks' margin, while its huge asset buying has drawn criticism for drying up liquidity and distorting market pricing.
Overall 83 people died across the country in past 24 hours out of which 51 fatalities are from Sindh.
The province’s mortality rate remained highest in today’s tally, whereas, the rate of positive coronavirus cases stands at 17.71 pc in the Sindh capital Karachi.