FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

European Union health ministers were told to prepare to deploy a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines as soon as data showed it was needed, as the bloc faces a surge in cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

European Union health ministers were told to prepare to deploy a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccines as soon as data showed it was needed, as the bloc faces a surge in cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. 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

* France's Constitutional Council approved - with conditions - the country's new vaccine pass, which will require people aged 16 and above to show proof of vaccination to enter public places like bars, restaurants and cinemas. * Swiss public health officials updated their recommendation for booster shots to include everyone aged 12 and older. Sweden set a new daily record of 41,604 cases on January 20, health agency data showed.

* Poles will be able to get tested in pharmacies free of charge, the government said. According to the health minister, the country could report a new record of more than 40,000 cases on Saturday morning, while former Polish President Lech Walesa said he has coronavirus. * One police officer was injured and police faced gunfire during a night of civil unrest over restrictions in Guadeloupe, a French overseas territory in the Caribbean, the island's local authority said.

* The UK Health Security Agency said it had designated a sub-lineage of the dominant and highly transmissible Omicron variant as a variant under investigation. * Italy is putting the final touches to a more than 5 billion euro ($5.67 billion) package of measures to curb surging energy bills and help companies hit by the latest wave of infections, government officials said.

ASIA-PACIFIC * Bangladesh closed all schools and colleges for two weeks to counter an "alarming" rise in infections, just four months after ending a 1-1/2 year school closure imposed due to coronavirus.

* In India, Delhi will remain under curfew over the weekend and overnight to help curb the spread of the Omicron variant, the city's disaster management authority said. * China reported the lowest daily tally of confirmed locally transmitted cases in nearly two months, while infections edged up in the capital Beijing amid a high virus alert.

* Japan acted to contain a record surge in cases with a return to curbs that have however shown diminishing results, while a laggard vaccine booster programme leaves many people vulnerable to breakthrough infections. AMERICAS

* New infections are falling in hardest-hit parts of the United States, according to a Reuters analysis of public health data, offering an early indication the virus might once again be on the retreat. * President Joe Biden will urge U.S. mayors to use more of their state and local COVID-19 aid funds to expand their workforces, a White House official said.

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST * The World Bank has approved a loan of $750 million to South Africa linked to COVID-19, aiming to help protect the poor and support economic recovery from the pandemic, the National Treasury said.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * The World Health Organization's advisory panel recommended extending the use of a reduced dosage of Pfizer's and BioNTech's vaccine to children aged 5 to 11 years old.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Stock markets dropped, following on from a late slump in the U.S. as fears about the pace of monetary policy tightening and weaker-than-expected earnings from companies that soared in the pandemic hit investor confidence.

* Stay-at-home market darling Netflix slumped, as investors priced in expectations for a return to normality as more countries gradually relax curbs. (Compiled by Juliette Portala and Marta Frackowiak ; Edited by Milla Nissi, Kirsten Donovan)