FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Sydney's cases rose at the slowest pace in nearly two weeks on Tuesday, but officials said they needed to see a steady drop in daily cases before deciding whether the infection curve had flattened after 12 weeks in lockdown. * Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked New Zealanders to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as it was the only way to beat the spread of coronavirus and see curbs lifted in the biggest city of Auckland.

New local COVID-19 infections more than doubled in China's southeastern province of Fujian, health authorities said, prompting officials to quickly roll out measures including travel restrictions to halt the spread of the virus. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news EUROPE

* All 12- to 15-year-olds in England will be offered a COVID-19 vaccine. * British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will unveil how the country will roll out booster shots for the most vulnerable and elderly as part of his coronavirus strategy for the winter months.

* Ukraine has decided to introduce "vaccine passports" verifying citizens' vaccination status. ASIA-PACIFIC

* The United States is communicating regularly with India in bilateral and multilateral channels to discuss the supply of vaccines and inquire about its timeline for restarting vaccine exports, a senior Biden administration official said. * Sydney's cases rose at the slowest pace in nearly two weeks on Tuesday, but officials said they needed to see a steady drop in daily cases before deciding whether the infection curve had flattened after 12 weeks in lockdown.

* Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern asked New Zealanders to get vaccinated as soon as possible, as it was the only way to beat the spread of coronavirus and see curbs lifted in the biggest city of Auckland. AMERICAS

* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against travel to Afghanistan, Albania, Serbia, Belize, Lithuania and four other destinations because of COVID-19 concerns. * The U.S. agency in charge of the Biden administration's new rules requiring COVID-19 vaccination at many private workplaces faces stiff challenges in developing and enforcing the mandate.

* Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has threatened fines for cities and counties that mandate employees must get vaccinated. MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* About one in 10 children had symptoms that remained after recovering from COVID-19, though that number dropped by more than half as the months passed, an Israeli Health Ministry survey showed. * Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine, after a six-month wait caused by his unwillingness to take the AstraZeneca shot.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * Miscarriages do not occur more often in pregnant women who receive an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19, according to a new study.

* Drugmaker Merck & Co said it sees potential U.S. emergency use authorization for its experimental COVID-19 antiviral treatment, molnupiravir, before year-end. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Asia's share markets were mixed and the dollar held steady on Tuesday, with investors awaiting U.S. inflation data for more clues on when the Federal Reserve will taper stimulus. * Australia's top central banker said lockdowns would cause a sharp contraction in the economy this quarter but was confident activity would rebound quickly once restrictions were eased in the coming months.

* Japan's export-reliant economy will grow at less than half the pace in the current quarter than thought just one month ago, held back by local coronavirus outbreaks and the impact from the pandemic abroad, a Reuters poll found.