FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* A new, mutated strain of the coronavirus stemming from mink farms in Denmark is "most likely" extinct, the Ministry of Health said, citing an assessment from the State Serum Institute, which deals with infectious diseases. * Russia on Thursday surpassed 2 million cases after reporting an additional 23,610 infections and 463 deaths related to COVID-19, both record daily rises.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University's potential COVID-19 vaccine produced a strong immune response in older adults, data published on Thursday showed, with researchers expecting to release late-stage trial results by Christmas.

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 number of new infections in Germany is still much too high and is causing a serious pandemic situation, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases said, adding it is unclear how long German measures will have to remain in place. * A new, mutated strain of the coronavirus stemming from mink farms in Denmark is "most likely" extinct, the Ministry of Health said, citing an assessment from the State Serum Institute, which deals with infectious diseases.

* Russia on Thursday surpassed 2 million cases after reporting an additional 23,610 infections and 463 deaths related to COVID-19, both record daily rises. * Poland reported a new daily high of coronavirus-related deaths for the second day in a row.

* Ukraine registered a record of 13,357 new cases in the past 24 hours, while the number of deaths also hit a new high. AMERICAS

* The U.S. death toll surpassed 250,000 on Wednesday, as New York City's public school system, the nation's largest, halted in-person classes. * A little-known agency that keeps the U.S. federal bureaucracy running is the biggest impediment to new efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak, Democratic President-elect Joe Biden said on Wednesday.

* U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico are expected to remain closed to non-essential travel until Dec. 21 at the earliest amid a rising number of U.S. cases. * Uruguay, a relatively coronavirus-free zone in hard-hit Latin America, is starting to see a worrying rise in cases.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Tokyo raised its coronavirus alert to the highest level as the city's daily tally of new infections rose to a record 534, while daily cases in Japan also hit a new record of 2,259.

* The South Asia sub-region surpassed 10 million COVID-19 cases, according to a Reuters tally, led by India where officials have been concerned Diwali celebrations could derail a recent fall in infections. * One of Australia's strictest lockdowns kicked off in the country's south on Thursday with outdoor gatherings, weddings, funerals and takeaway food all coming to a standstill.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Turkey will sign a contract within days to buy at least 20 million doses of a COVID-19 candidate vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech.

* Total coronavirus cases in Africa surpassed 2 million despite the slow growth of reported infections compared to other regions around the world. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna could be ready for U.S. authorization and distribution within weeks, setting the stage for inoculation to begin this year. * Russia has resumed the vaccination of new volunteers in its trial for its flagship COVID-19 Sputnik V vaccine after a short pause, as Moscow moves to accelerate plans to inoculate the population.

* A Danish study found face masks provide the wearer with only limited protection, but said this should not be used to argue against their widespread use. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* World stocks eased for the third day in a row and oil fell on Thursday, tracking overnight weakness in Asia and Wall Street as widening COVID-19 restrictions weighed on market sentiment. * Indonesia's central bank cut interest rates to a record low and urged commercial banks to follow suit as it sought to reignite Southeast Asia's largest economy.

* The Swiss watch federation gave a gloomy outlook for watch exports in the coming months, after it reported significant declines in shipments to Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Britain in October. (Compiled by Anita Kobylinska and Ramakrishnan M.; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Giles Elgood)