FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

COVID-19 vaccine makers told the U.S. Congress that supplies should surge in the coming weeks, while a European Union official said AstraZeneca expects to deliver less than half the vaccines it was contracted to supply to the bloc in the second quarter.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of the news.

EUROPE * European Union government leaders will agree to maintain curbs on non-essential travel within the EU despite the bloc's executive asking six countries to ease border restrictions.

* Britons rushed to book foreign holidays after the government laid out plans to gradually relax restrictions. * Sweden is preparing new measures to try to curb a resurgence in cases.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Deaths in China - excluding Wuhan - fell slightly during the first three months of 2020, suggesting efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 reduced deaths from other causes, a study showed.

* Regional Japanese governments have requested emergency pandemic measures be lifted ahead of the March 7 scheduled end as new cases trend lower. * India said mutated versions of coronavirus were not responsible for an upsurge in cases in two states.

* The Philippines will let thousands of its healthcare workers, mostly nurses, take up jobs in Britain and Germany if the two countries agree to donate vaccines. * Thailand received its first batch of vaccines, with inoculations set to begin in a few days.

AMERICAS * The presidents of Mexico and Argentina pressed the United Nations and the world's richest countries to improve poorer nations' access to vaccines.

* Brazil has fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech SE vaccine, though a dispute over a supply deal means it has none to start an immunization program with. * Colombia has approved the emergency use of AstraZeneca's vaccine.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * The World Bank threatened to suspend its multi-million-dollar financing for Lebanon's vaccinations over politicians jumping the line.

* Israel is giving small amounts of surplus vaccines to Palestinian-run territories as well as to several countries. * South Africa's government advisers had organized vaccines into three groups and those considered for "immediate use" were the Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Moderna shots.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to approve Pfizer and BioNTech SE's request to store their vaccine at standard freezer temperatures instead of in ultra-cold conditions, the New York Times reported.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Bond markets steadied, the U.S. dollar fell and stocks edged ahead after central banks from Washington to Wellington vowed to keep monetary policy loose for a long time.

* U.S. consumer confidence increased in February, with households slightly more upbeat about the labor market amid declining new infections. * Canada's economy will see a solid and sustained rebound this year as inoculations ramp up, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said.

* U.S. bank profits fell 36.5% in 2020 from the prior year as banks set aside massive amounts to guard against potential losses, a regulator reported. * Hong Kong plans to run a much lower budget deficit in the coming fiscal year as the economy is expected to recover from its longest recession on record, Finance Secretary Paul Chan said.