BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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REMBAU, Malaysia -- Malaysia started inoculation with the COVID-19 vaccines made by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech on Thursday, as the country pressed ahead with its national immunization drive.

Malaysia's Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin became the first recipient of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine in the country, receiving the jab at the Rembau Hospital in Negeri Sembilan state.

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NEW DELHI -- India's COVID-19 tally rose to 11,474,605 on Thursday as 35,871 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, said the latest data from the health ministry.

According to the official data, the death toll mounted to 159,216 as 172 COVID-19 patients died since Wednesday morning.

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VIENTIANE -- The European Union (EU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched a project to support COVID-19 response in Laos.

The EU and WHO are jointly supporting several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by providing 20 million euros for health system strengthening for COVID-19 preparedness and response under the South East Asia Health Pandemic Response and Preparedness Project.

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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil registered a record 90,303 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, pushing the nationwide tally to 11,693,838, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, 2,648 more people died from the disease, increasing the national death toll to 284,775, said the ministry.

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ADDIS ABABA -- Ethiopia registered 1,704 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 179,812 as of Wednesday evening, said the country's Federal Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, 19 new related fatalities were reported across the country, bringing the national death toll to 2,592.

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SANTIAGO -- Chile's Health Ministry reported on Wednesday 4,395 new COVID-19 cases and another 27 deaths related to the virus in one day, amid a spike in cases in the South American country.

According to official figures, Chile has accumulated a total of 905,212 cases and 21,816 deaths.

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LIMA -- The Peruvian government is preparing for a possible third wave of infections of COVID-19, President Francisco Sagasti said on Wednesday.

Officials want to anticipate a third wave of COVID-19 cases because "there is a third wave throughout the world," Sagasti said in an interview with local radio station Radio Uno Tacna. Enditem

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