FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide coronavirus spread

* White House health experts are warning of an increase in the percentage of people testing positive in U.S. cities including Boston, Chicago and Washington. ASIA-PACIFIC * South Korea will lift a ban on travellers from the Chinese province of Hubei, which was the original epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, starting on Monday. * Nearly half the workers at private firms in Australia's Victoria state, around 1.5 million people, will receive a federal wage subsidy as a surge in cases forces a near total lockdown in the state.

Nearly 300,000 Americans could be dead from COVID-19 by Dec. 1, University of Washington health experts forecast on Thursday, although they said 70,000 lives could be saved if people were scrupulous about wearing masks.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * 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 summary of news.

EUROPE * Passengers arriving into Britain from Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra will need to quarantine for 14 days.

* A breakdown of emergency loans to small firms in Britain during the coronavirus crisis shows that Scotland and the South West of England have received a smaller share of nationwide lending than they did prior to the pandemic. * Norway is halting its planned easing of restrictions and will likely reimpose others to prevent a full lockdown of society, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.

AMERICAS * U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday it was possible the United States would have a coronavirus vaccine before the Nov. 3 election.

* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued a decree that will set aside $356 million in funds to purchase and eventually produce the potential vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University researchers. * White House health experts are warning of an increase in the percentage of people testing positive in U.S. cities including Boston, Chicago and Washington.

ASIA-PACIFIC * South Korea will lift a ban on travellers from the Chinese province of Hubei, which was the original epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, starting on Monday.

* Nearly half the workers at private firms in Australia's Victoria state, around 1.5 million people, will receive a federal wage subsidy as a surge in cases forces a near total lockdown in the state. * A recent spate of suicides among migrant workers in Singapore has raised concerns over the mental health of thousands of low-paid workers who have been confined to their dormitories because of COVID-19.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Africa's confirmed cases of COVID-19 have surpassed 1 million, a Reuters tally showed, as the disease began to spread rapidly through a continent whose relative isolation has so far spared it the worst of the pandemic.

* The holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala, which used to host pilgrims from around the world, is now quarantining dozens of COVID-19 patients in apartment buildings owned by Imam Hussein shrine, one of Iraq's most powerful religious authorities. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The Japanese government will soon agree a supply deal for more than 100 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca Plc. * An Israeli research institute overseen by the Defence Ministry intends to begin human trials for a potential vaccine as early as October.

* Becton Dickinson and Co said it was on track to make 1 billion syringes in the next 12-18 months to meet demand for COVID-19 vaccination when approved. ECONOMIC FALLOUT

* China's exports rose at the fastest pace in seven months in July, while imports declined, painting a mixed picture for the economy as it recovers from a pandemic-induced slump. * Asian shares tumbled after the United States ratcheted up tensions with Beijing by banning transactions with China's tech giant Tencent as well as ByteDance, the owner of video-sharing app TikTok.

* Japan's household spending fell at a much slower pace in June than in the previous month as the economy re-opened from lockdown measures. * Australia's central bank downgraded its outlook for the national economy on Friday and warned unemployment would stay high for several years.

(Compiled by Ramakrishnan M, Devika Syamnath and Sarah Morland; Editing by Frances Kerry, Sriraj Kalluvila and Arun Koyyur)

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