FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

ASIA-PACIFIC * Shanghai on Friday announced a record 21,000 new cases and a third consecutive day of COVID testing as a lockdown of its 26 million people showed no sign of easing and Chinese cities tightened curbs - even in places with no recent infections.

The fast-spreading Omicron variant stoked U.S. interest in better masks for children to ward off COVID-19, and that is adding fuel to an effort that could set the stage for domestic oversight of their quality. 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 news. EUROPE

* German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was disappointed the lower house of parliament voted against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for people over 60, but would not launch a second attempt to push for a mandate. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Shanghai on Friday announced a record 21,000 new cases and a third consecutive day of COVID testing as a lockdown of its 26 million people showed no sign of easing and Chinese cities tightened curbs - even in places with no recent infections. * India will offer booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults from Sunday, although free third doses will be limited to frontline workers and those older than 60 who get them at government centres.

AMERICAS * Canada will provide C$220 million ($174.8 million) in additional funding to support COVID-19 vaccination needs in lower income countries, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement on Friday.

* The Biden administration is closely monitoring a coronavirus lockdown in Shanghai that could cause delays to air cargo, White house press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

* More than two-thirds of Africans have been infected by COVID-19 since the pandemic started, 97 times more than reported confirmed cases, according to a World Health Organization study published. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Moderna Inc said on Friday it was recalling 764,900 doses of its COVID-19 vaccine made by its contract manufacturer Rovi after a vial was found contaminated by a foreign body. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee kept the bank's key lending rate at a record low on Friday, as expected, as it sought to support economic growth even as inflation edge higher. * Thai consumer confidence dropped for a third straight month in March, hitting a six-month low, due to concerns over a coronavirus outbreak, higher living costs and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, a survey showed.

* British companies hired permanent staff at the slowest rate in a year last month, despite raising starting salaries by a record amount, as they struggled with a lack of qualified candidates, a monthly survey of recruiters showed. * Canada's Liberals put red-hot real estate markets squarely in their sights, laying out a budget geared at boosting housing affordability amid soaring inflation, while promising modest new spending to encourage medium-term growth.

* Peru's central bank raised the country's benchmark interest rate to 4.5% from 4.0%, its ninth consecutive hike as authorities battle stubborn inflation that has sparked angry protests. * Japan's current account balance swung back into the black in February from its second-biggest deficit on record in the previous month, providing some respite for policymakers amid a deterioration in economic fundamentals.

(Compiled by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Shinjini Ganguli; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Maju Samuel)