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Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

[August 18, 2022] (Reuters) - Brazil's federal police on Wednesday accused President Jair Bolsonaro of discouraging mask use during the pandemic and falsely suggesting that people who got vaccinated against COVID-19 ran the risk of contracting AIDS.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, click on COVID-19: MacroVitals for a case tracker and summary of news. cpurl://apps.cp./cms/?navid=1592404098

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Mainland China reported 3,570 new coronavirus cases for Aug. 17, of which 682 were symptomatic and 2,888 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.

* Shanghai reported four new domestically transmitted asymptomatic coronavirus cases for Aug. 17, the same as a day earlier, while no local symptomatic cases were reported, the same as a day before, the city government said on Thursday.

* China's July air passenger traffic rebounded to 57.3% of the 2019 level, the country's aviation regulator said, as the airline industry slowly recovers from widespread COVID-19 lockdowns that paralysed travel demand.

EUROPE

* The Swiss government is expected to run a budget deficit of 5 billion Swiss francs ($5.25 billion) for 2022, it said on Wednesday, citing extraordinary costs from tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting new arrivals from Ukraine.

* Russia reported 33,106 new daily coronavirus cases on Wednesday, authorities said, the highest figure since mid-March this year.

* European soccer revenues grew by 10% in the 2020-21 season despite most an almost total lack of fans in stadiums, according to a report published on Thursday.

AMERICAS

* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will prioritize its public health response in a revamp of its structure after months of criticism over its handling of the COVID-19 and monkeypox pandemics. [nL4N2ZT349]

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Passengers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as they stand in a queue to enter Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, after the government allowed domestic flight services to resume, during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Mumbai, India, May 25, 2020. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

* Air Canada said on Wednesday it plans to operate flights at 79% of its pre-pandemic capacity this summer.

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

* The operator of Dubai International Airport said on Wednesday the Middle East hub could see monthly passenger traffic return to pre-pandemic levels in the latter half of next year.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Cue Health Inc said on Wednesday an independent study showed its molecular COVID-19 test is as accurate as a lab-based RT-PCR test.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Asian shares tracked lower on Thursday, in step with Wall Street's losses, as even the prospect of a less aggressive Federal Reserve has still set the U.S. central bank on a path for interest rates to stay higher for longer. [MKTS/GLOB]

* Tencent said it had shut some unprofitable businesses and promised a return to growth even if the economy stayed weak, after government clampdowns on its gaming business and COVID-19 lockdowns drove its first-ever quarterly sales fall.

* China's Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd said on Thursday its first-half net profit fell 35%, as the country's strict COVID-19 restrictions dented sales and disrupted production.

* Auckland International Airport Ltd posted its second straight annual loss on Thursday but said it would return to profit in 2023 as demand for air travel picks up in the country following the easing of COVID-19 curbs.

(Compiled by Tristan Chabba and Subhranshu Sahu; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

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