FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* South Korea is sending a medical team to the Middle East to tackle an outbreak on one of its ships on anti-piracy patrol, while at home, new daily infections are hovering around record levels with 1,600 reported on Thursday. * AstraZeneca has asked Thailand to extend the timeline for the delivery of 61 million doses of its vaccine by five months, a deputy minister said, a move likely to further disrupt the country's sluggish vaccine rollout.

The World Health Organization's Emergency Committee on Thursday maintained its stance that proof of COVID-19 vaccination should not be required for international travel, amid a growing debate into blocking the entry of travellers if they are unvaccinated. 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

* Europe's drug regulator refrained from making any recommendations on mixing schedules of vaccines with doses from different manufacturers, saying it was too early to confirm if and when an additional booster shot would be needed. ASIA-PACIFIC

* A rise in India's infection rate is worrying authorities, who are concerned that pilgrimages and tourism could prove to be "superspreader" events in the battle to douse a devastating second wave of infections that has killed thousands. * The Australian state of Victoria was ordered into a five-day lockdown following a spike in infections, joining Sydney, as the country's two main population hubs battle an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.

* Indonesia is now fighting a "worst-case scenario" epidemic, a senior minister said, adding the government was preparing for a further spike in cases as the more virulent Delta variant spreads. * South Korea is sending a medical team to the Middle East to tackle an outbreak on one of its ships on anti-piracy patrol, while at home, new daily infections are hovering around record levels with 1,600 reported on Thursday.

* AstraZeneca has asked Thailand to extend the timeline for the delivery of 61 million doses of its vaccine by five months, a deputy minister said, a move likely to further disrupt the country's sluggish vaccine rollout. * Hundreds more bodies than usual are being taken for funerals every day in junta-ruled Myanmar as a new wave sweeps through the country, services transporting the bodies and arranging ceremonies said.

AMERICAS * U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy raised the alarm over a growing wave of misinformation about COVID-19 and related vaccines that threatens efforts to quell the pandemic and save lives, urging technology companies and others to act.

* The United States has started shipping 3.2 million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine to the Philippines, the White House said. * For the first time, a clear majority of Brazilians think the country's pandemic is no longer "out of control," a Datafolha poll showed, in what could be a boost for President Jair Bolsonaro, who is almost certain to seek re-election next year.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Africa recorded a 43% jump in COVID-19 deaths last week as infections and hospital admissions have risen and countries face shortages of oxygen and intensive-care beds, the WHO said.

* Companies in Brazil and Senegal will produce antigen rapid tests for diagnosing COVID-19 from early 2022 under tech transfer agreements aimed at boosting availability in Latin America and Africa, international agencies said. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* The World Health Organization's chief scientist has advised individuals against mixing and matching vaccines from different manufacturers, saying such decisions should be left to public health authorities. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Europe's share markets spluttered and government bond yields burrowed lower on Thursday after the head of the Federal Reserve dampened taper talk and traders struggled with the rapid global rise in Delta variant cases. * OPEC forecast that world oil demand would rise in 2022 to reach a level similar to before the pandemic, led by growth in the United States, China and India.

* The number of employees on British company payrolls surged in June by the most since the start of the pandemic, according to data which painted a picture of a roaring jobs market and growing inflationary pressure from rising wages. (Compiled by Federico Maccioni and Vinay Dwivedi; Edited by Arun Koyyur and Steve Orlofsky)