FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Lucira Health's COVID-19 and flu-at-home molecular test showed positive clinical study results. ECONOMIC IMPACT * Japanese retail sales fell in February for the first time in five months, as extended COVID-19 curbs hit service sector businesses, casting doubts over the prospects of a consumption-led recovery this quarter. * Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said it was "unarguable" that the global financial hub was seeing a brain drain due to stringent coronavirus rules, but said she valued the city's international status and envisioned a "better development" after the pandemic.

More Chinese companies are halting domestic listing plans, filings show, as the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak in two years hampers due diligence and information gathering, affecting an estimated $9 billion-plus in fundraising. 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

* Britain may be wasting nearly 3 billion pounds ($3.94 billion) on contracts for COVID-19 gear that have not given value for money, with millions spent each month storing unneeded and sometimes out-of-date kit, a watchdog said on Wednesday. * European health ministers urged the bloc's executive on Tuesday to back a fourth COVID-19 shot for people over the age of 60 to boost immunity in the absence of vaccines that specifically protect against the Omicron variant.

* France on Tuesday reported 217,480 new COVID-19 infections over the last 24 hours, a level unseen since early February. * Britain said on Tuesday that healthcare workers, social care staff, and the most vulnerable will still get COVID-19 tests without any charge when it ends free testing for the general public next month.

AMERICAS * The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized a second booster dose for people aged 50 and older of the two most commonly used COVID-19 vaccines, citing data showing waning immunity and the risks posed by Omicron variants of the virus.

* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday updated its recommendation to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 to receive an additional booster dose of COVID-19 vaccines. * A group of 21 states led by Florida on Tuesday asked a U.S. judge to block a federal COVID-19 mandate requiring masks on airplanes and other forms of transportation.

* Brazilian health regulator Anvisa has recommended travel restrictions be eased due to a drop in cases and deaths, requiring only full vaccination and doing away with quarantine for unvaccinated travelers. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Shanghai on Wednesday extended its shutdowns to some western parts of the city, earlier than scheduled, as it reported a total of 5,982 new local cases. * China reported 1,629 confirmed coronavirus cases for March 29, the national health authority said on Wednesday, compared with 1,293 a day earlier.

* Lockdowns have dampened consumption of transportation fuels in China to a point where some independent refiners have resorted to trying to resell crude purchased for delivery over the next two months, traders and analysts said. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Europe's drug regulator has started a real-time review of Spanish pharmaceutical firm Hipra's vaccine candidate. * Lucia Health's COVID-19 and a flu-at-home molecular test showed positive clinical study results.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Japanese retail sales fell in February for the first time in five months, as extended COVID-19 curbs hit service sector businesses, casting doubts over the prospects of a consumption-led recovery this quarter.

* Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said it was "unarguable" that the global financial hub was seeing a brain drain due to stringent coronavirus rules, but said she valued the city's international status and envisioned a "better development" after the pandemic. * Asia shares joined a global rally on Wednesday as hopes rose for a negotiated end to the Ukraine conflict, while bond markets signaled concern overnight that aggressive rate hikes could damage the U.S. economy after 10-year yields briefly dipped below two-year rates.

* Malaysia's central bank trimmed its 2022 economic growth forecast to between 5.3%-6.3%, with its governor saying the country's continued recovery will be slightly offset by the economic expected impact of the Ukraine conflict. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)