FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Australia's New South Wales state on Thursday reported its biggest daily rise in locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the year, while South Korea is considering a semi-lockdown after reporting its highest ever one-day number of new infections.

Australia's New South Wales state on Thursday reported its biggest daily rise in locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the year, while South Korea is considering a semi-lockdown after reporting its highest ever one-day number of new infections. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

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* COVID-19 infections in England have quadrupled in a month since early June, a large prevalence study showed on Thursday, ahead of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to fully reopen the economy in two weeks. * Britain on Wednesday reported 32,548 cases of COVID-19, the first time the figure has surpassed 30,000 since January.

* The number of coronavirus cases in Germany ticked up again on Wednesday after more than two months of steady decline and most new cases have been of the Delta variant since the end of June. * The highly contagious Delta variant now represents around 40% of new COVID-19 infections in France and could ruin the summer if the fourth wave of infections is allowed to build, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said.

* The Dutch government said it will consider whether it needs to take fresh action following a swift rise in new COVID-19 cases. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Olympic organizers are set to ban all spectators from the Games, the Asahi daily said on Thursday, as Japan prepared to declare a state of emergency for Tokyo that will run through its hosting of the event to curb a new wave of coronavirus infections. * Thailand reported on Thursday 75 new deaths from the coronavirus, a new daily record.

* Fiji reported a record daily increase in infections as it began distributing groceries to some households. * Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed new federal ministers for health, IT, and oil as part of a reshuffle in a bid to reinvigorate his government amid fierce criticism of its handling of the pandemic.

AMERICAS * The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis will require all employees to be fully vaccinated by the end of August in preparation for the bank's return to more in-person work.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Tunisia has recorded 9,823 new coronavirus cases and 134 deaths, a daily record since the start of the pandemic, the health ministry said on Wednesday, as concerns grow that the country will not be able to control the pandemic.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * World Health Organization emergencies head Michael Ryan urged countries on Wednesday to use extreme caution when lifting COVID-19 restrictions so as "not to lose the gains you've made".

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Asian stocks fell to a six-week low on Thursday as an extended selloff in tech shares in Hong Kong and rising virus cases added to a broad risk-averse mood, pressuring oil prices and lending support to bonds and the dollar.

* Japanese bank lending rose at its slowest annual pace in more than eight years in June as corporate fund demand to weather coronavirus-linked cash constraints subsided, central bank data showed on Thursday. * Thai consumer confidence dropped to a record low in June, dented by the country's biggest coronavirus outbreak, a slow vaccine rollout, and a sluggish economic recovery, a survey showed on Thursday.