The countries from the US to South Africa to Australia are struggling to hold down rising cases of the coronavirus, as global deaths from COVID-19 surged past 601,549 in a sign of how far off the world remains from a return to normalcy.

The United States tops the list with 140,119 deaths, followed by 78,772 in Brazil and 45,358 in the United Kingdom and 38,888 in Mexico.

The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, out of which 3.7 million are in the United States.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had hoped that the country may return to normal by Christmas, but scientists have cast their doubt and opined that without a vaccine, normal life may be a long way off.