FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Hospitalised COVID-19 patients of South Asian ethnicity in Britain are 20% more likely to die from the disease than white people, a large-scale study showed on Friday, the latest evidence that minority groups are disproportionately hit by the virus. * China has released genome sequencing data for the coronavirus responsible for a recent outbreak in Beijing, with officials saying it identified a European strain based on preliminary studies.

The European Central Bank's chief warned on Friday that the European Union's economy was in a "dramatic fall" due to the coronavirus crisis but EU leaders made little progress towards agreeing a massive stimulus plan. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* More than 8.53 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 453,834​ have died, a Reuters tally showed as of 1326 GMT on Friday. * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.

* For a U.S.-focused tracker with state-by-state and county map, open https://tmsnrt.rs/2w7hX9T in an external browser. * Eikon users, see MacroVitals (cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098) for a case tracker and a summary of developments.

EUROPE * Scientists in Italy have found traces of the coronavirus in wastewater collected from Milan and Turin in December 2019 - suggesting COVID-19 was already circulating in northern Italy before China reported the first cases.

* Several hundred new coronavirus cases per day and a growing outbreak after a party in the Algarve region are threatening Portugal's image as a safe holiday destination while a number of EU nations is also limiting entry for Portuguese visitors. * Spain reported on Friday a total of 28,313 coronavirus deaths as of Thursday, after adjusting its database to avoid duplications and errors, a health ministry official said.

* Norwegian police said on Friday they were concerned that the social and economic strains caused by the pandemic could lead to more radicalisation and extremist violence. * The UK might need to temporarily suspend the wages-pensions link due to the big swings in earnings that are likely due to COVID support measures, a senior legislator said, as Britain lowered its alert level to "epidemic" from "exponential".

* Germany's coronavirus tracing app has been downloaded 9.6 million times, a government spokeswoman said. * Russia on Friday reported 7,972 new cases on Friday, after it steeply revised up the number of medical workers who died after contracting COVID-19.

AMERICAS * Several U.S. hospitals in hard-hit states have started treating patients with dexamethasone rather than await confirmation of preliminary results of a British study, which said the inexpensive steroid saves lives.

* The spread of the virus in Buenos Aires' so-called "villas" underscores how millions of often informal workers in Latin American cities are struggling to stick to isolation measures and stay financially afloat. ASIA-PACIFIC

* The number of coronavirus cases in Saudi Arabia exceeded 150,000 on Friday following a rise in new infections over the past 10 days. * Hospitalised COVID-19 patients of South Asian ethnicity in Britain are 20% more likely to die from the disease than white people, a large-scale study showed on Friday, the latest evidence that minority groups are disproportionately hit by the virus.

* China has released genome sequencing data for the coronavirus responsible for a recent outbreak in Beijing, with officials saying it identified a European strain based on preliminary studies. * China's latest plans to overhaul its disease control system may not improve its ability to handle future virus outbreaks, according to some experts inside and outside the country.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Madagascar has announced a stimulus package offering close to a million small businesses secure loans at below market rates.

* The new coronavirus pandemic hit Cape Town much earlier than previously assumed, a senior health official said. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* A sixth experimental vaccine from China is now being tested in humans after Clover Biopharmaceuticals said an early-stage study of its candidate was underway with vaccine boosters from UK's GSK and U.S. based Dynavax. ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* The dollar recovered overnight losses and European stocks rose on Friday, on track to end the week stronger, as investors re-evaluated the optimism that saw markets rally in May and early June. * Canadian retail sales plummeted 26.4% in April, posting a record decline for a second consecutive month, as the pandemic continued to wallop the economy, Statistics Canada data showed.

* European Central Bank head, Christine Lagarde, told EU leaders their economy was in a "dramatic fall" and called on the bloc to act to spearhead revival, diplomatic sources and officials said. * EU leaders began the process of approving an unprecedented stimulus package, aware of the need to deliver help quickly, but still divided over its final size and terms.

(Compiled by Anna Rzhevkina, Sarah Morland, Devika Syamnath and Amy Caren Daniel, Editing by Maju Samuel, Anil D'Silva and Tomasz Janowski)