FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Germany will probably have to stick with anti-coronavirus measures into January, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, while her chief of staff suggested restrictions might be needed until March. * Russia reported a record high of 25,487 new infections, as Moscow extended the self-isolation period for COVID-19 risk groups until Jan. 15.

French and German consumer confidence plunged in November as new coronavirus restrictions crushed any prospect of a quick return to normal in the euro zone's two biggest economies, data published on Thursday showed.

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 European Union is planning bold measures to boost its access to drugs, from sidestepping patent rights in emergencies to offering incentives for companies to shift production to Europe. * Germany will probably have to stick with anti-coronavirus measures into January, Chancellor Angela Merkel said, while her chief of staff suggested restrictions might be needed until March.

* Russia reported a record high of 25,487 new infections, as Moscow extended the self-isolation period for COVID-19 risk groups until Jan. 15. * Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia have tested positive, the Swedish royal court said.

* Ukraine registered a record 15,331 new cases in the past 24 hours, up from a previous record of 14,580 reported on Nov. 21. AMERICAS

* Americans awoke on Thursday to celebrate a Thanksgiving Day transformed by the pandemic, with the Macy's parade limited to a television-only event and many families resigned to meeting on video for turkey dinner. * Mexico City has launched a test-and-trace approach to containing the coronavirus, after a rise in hospitalizations that has raised fears of a new economic lockdown.

* The Canadian province of Saskatchewan on Wednesday said it would restrict capacities of large stores and certain other public places. ASIA-PACIFIC

* South Korea reported 583 new cases, the highest since March, as it grapples with a third wave of infections that appears to be worsening despite tough new measures. * India recorded 44,489 new infections, the 19th straight day that single-day cases have stayed below the 50,000 mark.

* Beijing's Xinfadi market, which was linked to a coronavirus outbreak in June, has suspended sales and storage of cold-chain and aquatic products. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Leading Sudanese politician and former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi died from a coronavirus infection three weeks after being hospitalised in the United Arab Emirates. * Turkey, which announced asymptomatic case numbers for the first time since July, has signed a contract to buy 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * COVAXX, a unit of United Biomedical Inc, has received purchase commitments totalling $2.8 billion to deliver more than 140 million doses of its potential vaccine to developing countries, including Brazil, Peru and Ecuador.

* Dutch researchers are preparing for a potential "human challenge" COVID-19 vaccine trial, advocacy group 1Day Sooner said. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* European shares were mixed on Thursday and world shares held near all-time highs after a strong Asian session in which market euphoria around COVID-19 vaccines, Joe Biden's U.S. presidential election win and hopes for further stimulus outweighed worsening U.S. data. * Australian business investment fell by more than expected last quarter as lockdowns forced firms to delay purchases of equipment.

* South Korea's central bank kept its key policy rate steady for a fourth straight meeting on Thursday and sounded upbeat on the economic outlook even as the country faced a third wave of infections. * Poland is introducing a programme to help its economy withstand the hit from the pandemic worth about $9-10 billion.

* Sweden's central bank said it would expand and extend its asset-purchase programme to support the economy through a second wave of the pandemic, as it kept its benchmark interest rate on hold at 0%.