Latest on worldwide spread of the coronavirus

Latin American countries will not get enough COVID-19 vaccines for months when they become available and they should develop immunization plans that focus first on health workers and the elderly, the World Health Organization said.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread of COVID-19, open here

EUROPE
* Britain's medicine regulator has advised that people with a history of significant allergies do not get Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine after two adverse reactions were reported. Separately, the companies said documents related to the vaccine's development had been "unlawfully accessed" in a cyberattack on Europe's medicines regulator.
* The Czech lower house approved giving the government an extension of state of emergency powers to Dec. 23.
* Slovakia ordered schools and most shops closed for at least three weeks from Dec. 21.
* Stockholm's healthcare chief appealed to national authorities to send specialist nurses and other hospital staff as a second wave filled intensive care wards.
* A health official's warning that anyone getting vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine should give up alcohol for almost two months has caused a backlash among some Russians who call the request unreasonable.

AMERICAS
* Economic relief and a vaccine drew nearer to reality to counter a COVID-10 pandemic that has ravaged the U.S. economy and killed 286,487 people, with year-end holiday gatherings expected to fuel another surge in infections.
* Canada approved its first COVID-19 vaccine and said initial shots will be delivered and administered across the country starting next week.
* Brazil will "quite likely" begin vaccinations to stem the pandemic in January or February, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said.

ASIA-PACIFIC
* A Royal Caribbean "cruise-to-nowhere" from Singapore began disembarking its nearly 1,700 passengers who were confined to their cabins for more than 16 hours after a COVID-19 case was detected onboard, forcing the ship back to port.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* South Africa has officially entered a second wave as the number of infections per day exceeds 6,000, the health minister said.
* Turkey is ready to procure Russia's coronavirus vaccine if it meets Ankara's criteria, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, refuting an earlier media report that cited him as ruling it out.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* India's drugs regulator said it had sought more data to make a decision on emergency authorisation for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine candidate and one developed locally by Bharat Biotech and the government.
* An experimental vaccine developed by China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) has 86% efficacy, the health ministry of the United Arab Emirates said, citing an interim analysis of late-stage clinical trials.

ECONOMIC IMPACT
* Global equity indexes fell, with the S&P 500 down nearly 1% as negotiations for further fiscal stimulus dragged on.
* U.S. job openings increased in October, but many of the help wanted signs could disappear amid widespread restrictions on businesses.
* U.S. airlines were awaiting progress on COVID-19 relief proposals in Washington that could include another $17 billion in payroll support.