FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

ASIA-PACIFIC * North Korea said on Tuesday there were no new deaths among fever patients in the country, the first time since it flagged a COVID-19 outbreak nearly two weeks ago, adding that it was seeing a "stable" downward trend in pandemic-related cases.

North Korea reported nearly 116,000 more people showing fever symptoms as of Tuesday evening, while Beijing stepped up quarantine efforts to end its month-old COVID outbreak as fresh signs of frustration emerged in Shanghai. 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. ASIA-PACIFIC

* North Korea said on Tuesday there were no new deaths among fever patients in the country, the first time since it flagged a COVID-19 outbreak nearly two weeks ago, adding that it was seeing a "stable" downward trend in pandemic-related cases. * South Korea will issue a call this week at the World Economic Forum for COVID-19 vaccines and other medical help for North Korea, even if that means exemptions from U.N. sanctions imposed over its nuclear programme, a senior official said on Tuesday.

* A leading entrepreneur in China who had questioned the wisdom of the country's zero-COVID strategy was banned from posting on Weibo, with the social media platform accusing Trip.com co-founder James Liang of violating laws. AMERICAS

* The FDA set June 14-15 as the new meeting date to review Moderna's emergency authorization request for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 6 months to 5 years and Pfizer's vaccine for those aged 6 months through 4 years. EUROPE

* Germany's Health Ministry will ease COVID-19 entry rules for travellers from June 1, suspending a requirement for vaccination, recovery from the virus or a negative test, Funke media group reported on Wednesday, citing the health minister. * Germany's vaccine advisory panel on Tuesday said one COVID-19 shot was enough for healthy five- to 11-year-olds because most of them had already undergone an infection, maintaining its cautious approach.

* A British minister defended Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday over photographs of him drinking at a coronavirus lockdown-breaking gathering at Downing Street, saying he did not knowingly lie to parliament about the event. * Austria is suspending the requirement to wear face masks in essential shops and on public transport as coronavirus infections have fallen and are expected to remain low in the summer, its health minister said on Tuesday.

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST * Nigeria has received 4.4 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from Spain, a government official said.

* African countries objected on Tuesday to a proposal to reform the International Health Regulations, and diplomats said these objections may be a strategy to seek concessions on vaccine and drug-sharing from wealthier countries who were seen to be hoarding supplies during COVID-19. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Patients who experience recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms after completing treatment with Pfizer's drug Paxlovid should isolate again for five days, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in an advisory. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Shares slid worldwide on Tuesday as supply chain woes and surging costs hurt corporate earnings and manufacturing output slowed, while Treasury yields dipped as the weakness in equities revived a safe-haven bid for U.S. government debt. * UBS trimmed its forecast for China's economic growth this year by 120 basis points to 3%, as strict COVID-19 restrictions hit the country hard.

* Japan's manufacturing activity expanded at the slowest pace in three months in May, as supply bottlenecks due to parts shortages and China's COVID-19 lockdowns caused output and new orders growth to slow. (Compiled by Valentine Baldassari and Amy Caren Daniel; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Arun Koyyur)

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