Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

(Reuters) -World Bank President David Malpass and José Manuel Barroso, chair of the Gavi vaccine alliance, on Monday discussed the importance of countries with excess COVID-19 vaccine supplies releasing them as soon as possible.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals here for a case tracker and summary of news.

EUROPE

* A highly contagious variant of COVID-19 first identified in Britain does not cause more severe disease in hospitalised patients, according to a new study published in the medical journal Lancet.

* Britain on Monday said it had offered all over-50s a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, hitting a target to offer injections to all people in its nine highest priority groups by April 15.

* Russia will restrict flights to and from Turkey from April 15 to June 1 due to a rise in cases in Turkey.

* Spain will initially prioritise people between the ages of 70 and 79 for inoculation with Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.

AMERICAS

* The White House said it was prepared to send additional therapeutic treatments to Michigan, which is experiencing a worrying number of cases, but declined to promise more vaccine as the state has sought.

* Ontario is closing in-person schools due to rising cases, and doctors may soon have to decide who can and cannot receive treatment in intensive care.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* India reported 161,736 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, hitting the world’s highest daily tally once again, for a total of 13.69 million cases, health ministry data showed.

* Australia has no current plans to add Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose coronavirus vaccine to its immunisation drive, authorities said, as it moves away from procuring vaccines under review over blood clots.

* A health adviser to Japan’s Olympic committee said on Tuesday athletes should have the option of getting COVID-19 vaccines.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the coronavirus science council will recommend a tighter set of measures as the outbreak reached what the minister called “a third peak”.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Gilead Sciences said on Monday it had decided to stop a late-stage trial of its intravenous treatment, Veklury, in high-risk non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Asia share markets were cautious on Tuesday after U.S. markets weakened as investors anticipated the start of corporate earnings seasons and the release of key inflation data to indicate how the global recovery from the pandemic will emerge. [MKTS/GLOB]

* The U.S. economy could see a significant rebound this year thanks to accommodative monetary and fiscal policy, Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren said.

* Italy is preparing a new stimulus package worth around 40 billion euros to support its coronavirus-battered economy, a source close to the matter said.

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