FACTBOX-Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

EU countries could begin rolling out Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine as soon as next week after authorities approved the region's second shot on Wednesday, with more infectious variants of the virus adding extra urgency to inoculation efforts. 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 * British PM Boris Johnson won parliament's backing for England's latest lockdown. * Ireland announced its strictest lockdown measures since early last year as a "tsunami" of infections caused by a new COVID-19 variant pushed hospitalisations to a record high.

EU countries could begin rolling out Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine as soon as next week after authorities approved the region's second shot on Wednesday, with more infectious variants of the virus adding extra urgency to inoculation efforts.

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 * British PM Boris Johnson won parliament's backing for England's latest lockdown.

* Ireland announced its strictest lockdown measures since early last year as a "tsunami" of infections caused by a new COVID-19 variant pushed hospitalisations to a record high. * Britain and other nations are considering ways to stretch scarce supplies of vaccines.

* France introduced a series of bureaucratic hurdles that must be cleared before rolling out inoculations in nursing homes. * Ukrainian police are investigating reports that some citizens have been illegally inoculated with vaccines that have not been officially approved.

AMERICAS * Total U.S. infections crossed the 21 million mark, deaths soared across much of the United States and a historic vaccination effort lagged.

* A more contagious variant of COVID-19 that has swept through the United Kingdom has been reported in at least five U.S. states, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said in an interview to the Washington Post. * California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed giving $600 in stimulus cash support to millions of low-income residents of his state and extending an eviction moratorium.

* The U.S. CDC said it is carefully monitoring allergic reactions to the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. * Portugal approved an extension of a state of emergency as the daily number of cases reached a record high.

ASIA-PACIFIC * China played down World Health Organization concern about a delay in authorisation for a visit by experts looking into the origins of the novel coronavirus, while it stepped up curbs near Beijing.

* Japan's cases reached a new daily record as the government faced mounting pressure to impose a strict state of emergency in the Tokyo greater metropolitan area. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Millions of South Africans will have their vaccinations subsidised by medical schemes that pool health insurance premiums through an agreement with the government, a top medical scheme administrator said. * China has granted some debt relief to Democratic Republic of Congo to help it overcome economic fallout from the pandemic, the Congolese foreign ministry said.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The European drugs regulator could shortly approve an amendment to its approval of Pfizer's vaccine that would permit the extraction of six doses from a vial instead of five, an EU official said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * The odds-on Democratic victory in two U.S. Senate races could pave way for quick additional pandemic support

* Economic stimulus approved in the United States and Japan at the end of last year will help to power a recovery in their economies in the second half of 2021, IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath said. (Compiled by Devika Syamnath; Edited by Shounak Dasgupta)