FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

EUROPE * Russia will promptly consider any request from North Korea for COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. ASIA-PACIFIC * Leader Kim Jong Un has ordered North Korea's military to stabilize the distribution of COVID-19 medicines in the capital, Pyongyang, in the battle on the country's first confirmed outbreak of the disease, state media said.

Shanghai set out plans on Monday for the return of more normal life from June 1 and the end of a painful COVID-19 lockdown that has lasted more than six weeks and contributed to a sharp slowdown in China's economic activity. 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. EUROPE

* Russia will promptly consider any request from North Korea for COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. * Poland expects the European Union to unblock billions of euros in COVID-19 recovery funds in the coming days, a government spokesman said on Friday, after negotiators reached "milestones" in talks over the approval of its National Recovery Plan.

* The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England fell to 1 in 45 people in the week ending May 7, the Office for National Statistics' Infection Survey said, down from an estimated 1 in 35 people who had the infection the previous week. AMERICAS

* General Motors Co, Ford Motor Co, and Chrysler parent Stellantis NV said they are reinstating a requirement that employees wear masks in southeastern Michigan where there are high levels of COVID-19. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Leader Kim Jong Un has ordered North Korea's military to stabilize the distribution of COVID-19 medicines in the capital, Pyongyang, in the battle on the country's first confirmed outbreak of the disease, state media said. * North Korea is facing its first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak with no known vaccine program, sparking new calls for the government to accept aid that could save lives, help protect its battered economy, and possibly lead to a diplomatic opening.

* New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tested positive for COVID-19 with moderate symptoms. AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

* International agencies and charitable foundations providing COVID-19 vaccines for Africa should order African-made vaccines, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa told a global COVID-19 summit. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Moderna Inc said on Friday the Swiss drugs regulator, Swissmedic had authorized the use of its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six to 11 years. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Asian share markets were struggling to sustain even a minor rally after shockingly weak data from China underlined the deep damage lockdowns were doing to the world's second-largest economy. * China's economic activity cooled sharply in April as widening COVID-19 lockdowns took a heavy toll on consumption, industrial production, and employment, adding to fears the economy could shrink in the second quarter.

* China's central bank rolled over maturing medium-term policy loans while keeping the interest rate unchanged for a fourth straight month as expected, but markets still expect easing measures to prop up the economy. 

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