Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus
(Reuters) - Global coronavirus infections surged past 15 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, with the pandemic gathering pace even as countries remain divided in their response to the crisis.
DEATHS AND INFECTIONS
* For an interactive graphic tracking the global spread, open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.
EUROPE
* Ireland may introduce further travel restrictions for countries with a very high incidence of COVID-19.
* Spain said that a resurgence in cases in Catalonia was coming under control, adding that it hoped this meant there would be no need for neighbouring France to close the border.
* The number of active coronavirus infections topped 5,000 in the Czech Republic for the first time after labs reported the highest daily rise in nearly a month, the health ministry said.
AMERICAS
* U.S. President Donald Trump, in a shift in rhetoric and tone, encouraged Americans to wear masks if they cannot maintain social distance and warned that the coronavirus pandemic would get worse before it got better.
* Trump expressed a willingness to work with China or other countries to bring a successful coronavirus vaccine to the United States, despite rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.
* Canada's recent increase in cases was expected as the economy reopens, a senior medical official said.
* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said he took another coronavirus test and the results were expected Wednesday as he hopes for a negative result two weeks since falling ill.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Hong Kong will expand strict new social distancing measures from midnight on Wednesday, mandating face masks in all indoor public areas including malls and markets, as the city reported record daily rise in cases.
* Japan kicked off a national travel campaign aimed at reviving its battered tourism industry, but the effort has drawn heavy criticism amid a jump in new cases.
* Thailand will extend a state of emergency until the end of August.
* Residents of Australia's second most populous city, Melbourne, must wear masks when leaving home from Wednesday as the country posted a record rise in virus cases while New South Wales state was on "high alert".
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* About 2,000 Israelis rallied outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem as protests mounted against him over his handling of a worsening coronavirus crisis.
* Qatar relaxed restrictions, allowing citizens and permanent residency holders to travel outside the country and return at any time, and residents outside the country to return starting Aug. 1.
* Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his government would impose a night-time curfew and tighten other measures.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* The University of Oxford's possible COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out by the end of the year but there is no certainty, the lead developer of the vaccine said.
* Brazil approved clinical trials starting in August for a potential COVID-19 vaccine under joint development by Pfizer and BioNTech.
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
* The euro stood at an 18-month high, silver soared and commodities rose, benefiting from hopes that key parts of the global economy are heading in the right direction.
* Japan's government slightly raised its economic view for a second straight month in July, though authorities said the situation remained difficult.
* Swiss finance minister told a newspaper he expected state debt to climb to 125-130 billion Swiss francs ($134.1-139.5 billion) by year's end.
(Compiled by Anna Rzhevkina, Sarah Morland, Ramakrishnan M and Krishna Chandra Eluri; Editing by Mark Heinrich, Anil D'Silva and Subhranshu Sahu)
