FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, his office said, prompting a track and trace effort across Europe following meetings he had with EU heads of government in recent days.

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

EUROPE * European Union states will start vaccinations in 10 days as Europe tries to catch up with Britain and United States.

* Large areas of England will be added to the 'very high alert' COVID-19 category this weekend, placing residents under the most stringent tier of restrictions to tackle the rising number of infections. * Poland will enter a national quarantine from Dec. 28 to Jan. 17, entailing the closure of all hotels, ski slopes and shopping malls, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said.

* The Netherlands cannot yet say whether it will be among the first EU countries ready to start with COVID-19 vaccinations in December, several health officials said. AMERICAS

* Pfizer is encountering difficulty in registering its COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in Brazil due to the level of detail required by the regulator, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said. * Vice President Mike Pence will receive the coronavirus vaccine in public on Friday as the outgoing U.S. administration and President-elect Joe Biden's team try to build support for a mass inoculation.

* After months of feuding, U.S. congressional negotiations over final details of a $900 billion COVID-19 aid bill advanced, although it was unclear whether the work could be completed before a fast approaching weekend deadline. ASIA-PACIFIC

* The Japanese capital Tokyo, faced with acute strains on its medical system from the COVID-19 pandemic, raised its alert level to the highest of four stages on Thursday as the number of new cases spiked to a record daily high of 822. * South Korea reported a record number of coronavirus deaths on Thursday as the country's biggest wave of infections since the start of the pandemic strained hospital resources and sparked panic buying in anticipation of a harsh new lockdown.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * The second wave of infections is hitting West and Central Africa, and experts are warning it could be worse than the first.

* Pharmaceutical companies should sell COVID-19 vaccines to African countries at discounted rates and allow them to be produced locally to potentially cut costs, the head of the continent's disease control body said. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said nearly 6 million doses of Moderna Inc's experimental COVID-19 vaccine were poised to ship nationwide as soon as it secures Food and Drug Administration approval. * An Indian government-backed vaccine showed it was safe and triggered immune responses during an ongoing early-stage trial, the company involved in the study said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Global stocks scaled new peaks on Thursday, fueled by growing optimism that deals will be reached over a fresh U.S. coronavirus aid package and a post-Brexit trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

* British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced that he would extend a job support program by another month until the end of April, and that businesses would be able to get new COVID loans until the end of March. * Greek banks are likely to be burdened by 8.0-10.0 billion euros of new impaired loans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.