Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 22 million

More than 22.12 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 777,966 have died, according to a Reuters tally published on Wednesday.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

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New Zealand appears to be gaining control over a coronavirus outbreak in Auckland after just five new community infections were reported Wednesday amid record levels of testing and contact tracing.

A sixth infection was found in a quarantined traveller who had returned from Qatar.

An Indian health worker helps another wear personnel protection equipment before conducting tests in Gauhati, India. AP

India reported 1,092 new fatalities from COVID-19 on Wednesday, its highest single-day total.

India has the fourth-most deaths in the world and the third-most cases, with over 2.7 million — including more than 64,000 new infections reported in the last 24 hours.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says 500 more military personnel would be deployed to quarantine hotels as the nation looks to reduce the number of private security guards it employs and tighten its border controls.

Health authorities have still not figured out how the outbreak began after the country went 102 days without the virus spreading in the community. The discovery of the outbreak last week prompted authorities to put the nation’s largest city into a two-week lockdown.

Australia has announced a deal to manufacture a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZenec.

People walk through a small deserted laneway usually packed with open cafes and people in Melbourne. AFP

Australia has announced a deal to manufacture a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZenec.

"Under the deal, every single Australian will be able to receive the University of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for free, should trials prove successful, safe and effective,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement Wednesday.

Morrison said the Oxford University trial was in a phase-three stage and more work was needed to prove its viability.

"If this vaccine proves successful, we will manufacture and supply vaccines straight away under our own steam and make it free for 25 million Australians,” Morisson said.

Morrison said there was no guarantee that the vaccine would be successful, "which is why we are continuing our discussions with many parties around the world while backing our own researchers at the same time to find a vaccine.”