FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of coronavirus

* The Philippines' coronavirus task force has approved the entry of foreign investors to the Southeast Asian nation starting from Nov. 1. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * The coronavirus outbreak in Turkey has risen again nationwide, its health minister said on Friday, following a recent surge in daily symptomatic patient numbers. * Ethiopia can jail people for up to two years if they deliberately violate COVID-19 restrictions, the attorney general's office said, amid concern that citizens are becoming lax after a state of emergency was lifted.

France extended curfews to around two thirds of its population and Belgium's foreign minister was taken into intensive care with COVID-19, as Europe's reported coronavirus cases more than doubled in 10 days.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open https://graphics.reuters.com/world-coronavirus-tracker-and-maps/ in an external browser.

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

* The virus is spreading more quickly than during its initial outbreak in the spring, French government scientific advisor said. * New cases in England were rising by around 35,200 per day during the week to Oct. 16, compared with 27,900 the week before.

* Poland will close restaurants and bars for two weeks and limit public gatherings to five people, after new infections hit a new daily record of more than 13,600. * Belgium tightened restrictions on social contacts by banning fans from sports matches, limiting the number of people in cultural spaces and closing theme parks.

* Norway will announce stricter measures next week following a recent increase in the number of cases. * Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia registered a new daily record of cases.

AMERICAS * Mexico's health ministry said six of its 32 federal entities are now showing signs of new outbreaks, after previously bringing down the number of infections.

* The Peruvian government refused to sign a vaccine purchase agreement with AstraZeneca because it did not provide sufficient data from its studies and offered minimal amounts of inoculations. * Several U.S. states, many of them in the Midwest, reported record single-day increases in cases on Thursday.

* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday visited the coronavirus-infected health minister wearing no mask. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first election rally on Friday since the coronavirus took hold in the country in March, drawing thousands of cheering supporters standing shoulder to shoulder and ignoring social distancing rules. * The Japanese government's expert panel to combat the pandemic plans to propose on Friday extending the New Year holidays by about a week to Jan. 11, Kyodo News reported.

* Australia's Victoria state - the epicentre of the country's COVID-19 outbreak - reported that active cases have fallen to a four-month low. * The Philippines' coronavirus task force has approved the entry of foreign investors to the Southeast Asian nation starting from Nov. 1.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * The coronavirus outbreak in Turkey has risen again nationwide, its health minister said on Friday, following a recent surge in daily symptomatic patient numbers.

* Ethiopia can jail people for up to two years if they deliberately violate COVID-19 restrictions, the attorney general's office said, amid concern that citizens are becoming lax after a state of emergency was lifted. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The U.S. FDA approved Gilead Sciences Inc's antiviral drug remdesivir for treating patients hospitalized with COVID-19, making it the first and only drug approved for the disease. * Researchers called for more research into using blood from recovered COVID-19 patients as a potential treatment, after a small trial of hospitalised patients in India found it was of no benefit.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Global stocks remained within a tight range on Friday, less than two weeks before the U.S. presidential election, with traders looking for a breakthrough in stimulus talks in Washington.

* Euro zone economic activity has slipped back into decline this month as renewed restrictions forced many businesses in the bloc's dominant service industry to limit operations. * Irish consumer sentiment dropped in October to its lowest level in five months, amid growing concern about the impact of restrictions on household finances and jobs.

* White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said negotiations with lawmakers on a coronavirus relief package, now totaling $1.9 trillion, have entered a new phase with congressional committee chairs meeting.

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