FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

China continued to battle sharp spikes in COVID-19 cases, pushing authorities to warn of strict measures for those violating lockdown rules, while a tally of companies suspending production due to the restrictions ticked higher.

China continued to battle sharp spikes in COVID-19 cases, pushing authorities to warn of strict measures for those violating lockdown rules, while a tally of companies suspending production due to the restrictions ticked higher. 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 the news. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Shanghai warned that anyone who violates strict COVID-19 lockdown rules will be dealt with strictly, while also rallying people to defend their city as its tally of new cases rebounded to more than 25,000. * More than 30 Taiwan companies, many making electronics parts, said government COVID-19 control measures in eastern China had led them to suspend production until at least next week.

* South Korea will administer a second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for people over 60, as the country continues to battle the highly contagious Omicron variant. * Shionogi & Co shares plunged in Tokyo trading amid concerns that the drugmaker's oral treatment for COVID-19, which is still awaiting approval from regulators, could pose pregnancy risks.

* New Zealand welcomed hundreds of travelers from Australia with emotional scenes as it opened its borders to its trans-Tasmanian neighbour for the first time since mid-2021. AMERICAS

* The BA.2 Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus is now responsible for 86% of U.S. COVID-19 cases and more than 90% of infections in the Northeast, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EUROPE

* British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized but defied calls to resign on Tuesday after being fined for breaking coronavirus lockdown rules by attending a gathering in his office to celebrate his birthday. * Britain's finance minister Rishi Sunak offered an "unreserved apology" for breaking COVID-19 lockdown laws, echoing comments from Johnson, and said he had accepted and paid a fine.

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST * Saudi Arabia will let up to 1 million people join the Haj pilgrimage this year, greatly expanding the key event to participants from outside the kingdom after two years of tight COVID-19 restrictions, state media said.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * An experimental drug being developed by RedHill Biopharma Ltd that improved outcomes in a randomized trial involving severely ill COVID-19 patients infected with earlier versions of the coronavirus is showing promise against the Omicron variant in test-tube experiments, researchers said.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Asian shares and U.S. futures rose after U.S. inflation figures were not as high as markets had feared, causing U.S. yields to pause their march higher.

* China's imports unexpectedly fell in March as COVID-19 curbs hampered freight arrivals and weakened demand, while export growth slowed slightly, with analysts expecting trade to worsen in the second quarter. * The World Trade Organization revised its forecast for global trade growth this year to 3% from 4.7% amid a pandemic and war "double whammy".