FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

The head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday China's zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy is not sustainable given what is now known of the virus, in rare public comments by the U.N. agency on a government's handling of the pandemic. 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

* NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has been diagnosed with COVID-19, a spokesperson for the alliance said on Tuesday. * Offences by those opposed to COVID-19 restrictions drove politically motivated crimes in Germany to a record high last year, an Interior Ministry report showed on Tuesday.

* Two years into the pandemic, health officials in some countries are questioning the merits of repeated, mass testing when it comes to containing infections, particularly considering the billions it costs. AMERICAS

* A New York state appeals court on Tuesday dismissed state Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit accusing Amazon.com Inc of failing to adequately protect thousands of workers at two New York City facilities against COVID-19. * General Electric's healthcare unit said on Tuesday it had increased output of dye used for medical scans and tests at its factory in Ireland and shipped products by air to help combat shortages caused by the suspension of its Shanghai factory.

ASIA-PACIFIC * China risks just over 1.5 million COVID deaths if it drops its tough zero-COVID policy without any safeguards such as ramping up vaccination and access to treatments, according to new modelling by scientists in China and the United States.

AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST * Dubai's flagship airline Emirates hopes that it will this fiscal year start paying back the 15 billion dirhams ($4.1 billion) in state assistance it receive from the government during the pandemic, its chairman said on Monday.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * Vaccine developer BioNTech completed a Phase II clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine in China in January but has yet to release its results, a registry of such trials showed on Tuesday.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Novavax Inc's shares plunged nearly 20% in premarket trading on Tuesday due to uncertainty over global demand for the company's COVID-19 vaccine following a slow start to deliveries.

* Toyota Motor Corp said on Tuesday it would suspend operations on 14 lines at eight domestic factories for up to six days in May due to the COVID lockdown in China. * Tesla Inc has halted most of its production at its Shanghai plant due to problems securing parts for its electric vehicles, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, the latest in a series of difficulties for the factory.

* The U.S. crude oil price dipped below $100 a barrel on Tuesday to its lowest level in two weeks as the demand outlook was pressured by coronavirus lockdowns in China and growing recession risks, while a strong dollar made crude more expensive for buyers using other currencies. (Compiled by Shailesh Kuber and Sherry Jacob-Phillips; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu and Anil D'Silva)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)