FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Cyprus said children aged 12 to 15 would be included in a mass inoculation programme to curb the spread of COVID-19. ASIA-PACIFIC * Asian countries from Australia to Japan and the Philippines announced tighter COVID-19 restrictions, as they battle worsening coronavirus outbreaks, driven by the more contagious Delta variant. * Thailand will order an additional 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, its health ministry said, as the Southeast Asian country battles its biggest COVID-19 outbreak to date.

Japan said it will expand states of emergency to three prefectures near Olympic host Tokyo and the western prefecture of Osaka, as COVID-19 cases spike in the capital and around the country, overshadowing the Summer Games. 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

* The European drugs regulator approved a ramp-up in production of active substances used to make COVID-19 shots at Moderna's MRNA.O sites in the United States. * Germany will require all unvaccinated travellers arriving in the country from Sunday to present a negative COVID-19 test result, stepping up health checks on returning holidaymakers amid concern over rising case loads in holiday destinations.

* The highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has gained dominance in Italy, the National Health Institute said, releasing data showing it accounted for 94.8% of cases as of July 20. * Cyprus said children aged 12 to 15 would be included in a mass inoculation programme to curb the spread of COVID-19.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Asian countries from Australia to Japan and the Philippines announced tighter COVID-19 restrictions, as they battle worsening coronavirus outbreaks, driven by the more contagious Delta variant.

* Thailand will order an additional 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, its health ministry said, as the Southeast Asian country battles its biggest COVID-19 outbreak to date. * Australia will have to vaccinate 80% of its adults before it can consider reopening its border, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

* South Korea announced plans to expand its vaccine rollout to people aged 18 to 49. AMERICAS

* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has described the Delta variant to be as contagious as chickenpox and could cause severe illness, the New York Times reported, citing an internal CDC document. * Brazil plans to cancel a contract signed in March for 10 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, the health minister said on Thursday.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA * Kenya's health minister said the government had suspended all in-person meetings and public gatherings to try to contain COVID-19, whose spread in the country he now attributes to the more infectious Delta variant.

* Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, is to undergo a week-long partial lockdown starting Saturday to curb the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant, as the city’s hospitals are close to saturation levels, the provincial chief minister said. * Israeli President Isaac Herzog received a third shot of vaccine, kicking off a campaign to give booster doses to people aged over 60.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The Serum Institute of India said it had partnered with an industry body to expand the reach of COVID-19 shots in the country's countryside.

* Trials mixing a first dose of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine with AstraZeneca's vaccine revealed no serious side effects among volunteers, the Russian Direct Investment Fund said. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Global shares edged lower on Friday but remained on course for their sixth straight month of gains as solid corporate earnings and central bank largesse kept sentiment intact, while the dollar held near a one-month low. * The euro zone economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter, pulling out of a pandemic-induced recession, while the easing of coronavirus curbs also helped inflation shoot past the European Central Bank's 2% target in July.

(Compiled by Veronica Snoj and Juliette Portala; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu, Anil D'Silva, William Maclean)