Vaccine not enough to stop pandemic: WHO

New Delhi : The WHO chief on Monday warned that just a vaccine will not be enough to stop the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic is raging months after it broke out, with infections soaring past 54 million and claiming more than 1.3 million lives.

"A vaccine will complement the other tools we have, not replace them," director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "A vaccine on its own will not end the pandemic."

Tedros warned: "That will still leave the virus with a lot of room to move. Surveillance will need to continue, people will still need to be tested, isolated and cared for, contacts will still need to be traced... and individuals will still need to be cared for."

According to WHO's count on Saturday, 660,905 new coronavirus cases were reported to the UN health agency, setting a new high water mark.

That number, and the 645,410 registered on Friday, surpassed the previous daily record high of 614,013 recorded on November 7.

During the early stage, the vaccine will be made available to a limited number of people – older ones, critical patients and those who are at risk – to minimize the total number of deaths.