The Netherlands is battling two epidemics of the novel coronavirus: one against its existing variants, in which cases are declining, and "another epidemic involving the U.K. variant, in which infections are increasing," the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment said in a situation report released Tuesday.

The so-called U.K. variant, first identified in England last September, has caused a massive jump in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

In the Netherlands, government officials said they were "gravely concerned about the U.K. variant." Over the weekend they introduced a nighttime curfew which has sparked riots.

Over the last two weeks, the Netherlands has reported an 11.7% positivity rate for COVID-19 tests.

ABC News’ Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

The worldwide number of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 surpassed 100 million on Tuesday, according to real-time data collected by Johns Hopkins University. The United States accounts for over 25 million of those cases.

For perspective, only 14 countries in the world have populations over 100 million, according to the latest data from the World Bank Group.

The grim milestone comes just over one year since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Wuhan, China, on Dec. 31, 2019.

The number of people who have died from COVID-19 in the United Kingdom has surpassed 100,000, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday.

"It's hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic," Johnson said.

More than 35,000 people in the U.K. are hospitalized with COVID-19, which is "substantially" above the peak in April, according to Johnson.

The number of people testing positive for the disease remains high but is decreasing slowly, with 20,089 new cases reported Tuesday, according to Johnson.

ABC News’ Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

This year's Boston Marathon will be held on Oct. 11, if road races are allowed in Massachusetts' reopening plan at that time, according to the Boston Athletic Association.

A virtual race will also be offered as an option to runners.

"While it was of course the right thing to do, canceling the 2020 Boston Marathon for the first time in its 124-year history was one of the hardest announcements to make," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement Tuesday.

"Today, I'm filled with hope, as we set our sights on October for the running of the 125th Boston Marathon," he added. "We have a ways to go before we're out of the woods, but guided by sound judgment and the advice of our public health experts, I am hopeful that we'll get to enjoy the return of one of Boston's most storied traditions this fall."

ABC News' Leo Mayorga contributed to this report.

COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging across Africa as new, more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus spread to additional countries, the World Health Organization warned Thursday.

"The variant which was first detected in South Africa has spread quickly beyond Africa and so what’s keeping me awake at night right now is that it’s very likely circulating in a number of African countries," Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO's regional director for Africa, said in a statement.

Diagnosed COVID-19 infections increased by 50% in Africa between Dec. 29 and Jan. 25, when compared with the previous four weeks. Deaths from the disease rose two-fold in the same period, with over 15,000 concentrated in 10 mainly southern and northern African nations, according to the WHO.

Over the last week, more than 175,000 new cases and over 6,200 new deaths were reported across the continent. There was a small dip in cases in South Africa, but 22 countries continue to see their numbers surge, according to the WHO.

The B1351 variant, first identified in South Africa, is "predominant and powering record case numbers in South Africa and the sub-region," the WHO said. The strain has been detected in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, the French Indian Ocean region of Mayotte, Zambia and at least 24 non-African nations, according to the WHO.

Meanwhile, another new, highly contagious variant called B117, which was initially detected in the United Kingdom, has been found in Gambia and Nigeria.

The WHO said it is working to track and tackle new strains of the deadly virus. The U.N. agency, along with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has helped set up a COVID-19 genomic sequencing laboratory network with labs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

"In addition to the new variants, COVID-19 fatigue, and the aftermath of year-end gatherings risk powering a perfect storm and driving up Africa’s second wave and overwhelming health facilities," Moeti said. "Africa is at a crossroads. We must stick to our guns and double down on the tactics we know work so well. That is mask wearing, handwashing and safe social distancing. Countless lives depend on it."