FACTBOX-Latest information on the global spread of the coronavirus

Some of Shanghai’s 25 million residents went out for brief walks and errands on Tuesday after enduring more than a month under a COVID lockdown, while Beijing embarked on another round of mass testing to control an emerging epidemic. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

*Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for case tracking and news summary. EUROPE

* Poland has no “coherent justification” for invoking force majeure in an existing contract to stop paying for more Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, a European Commission official told Reuters. AMERICAS

* A former Amazon.com Inc employee has sued the online retailer, claiming it wrongfully fired her and demanded that she return her salary after contracting ‘long COVID’. * Costa Rica will offer a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised people and people over 50.

* U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris tested negative for COVID-19 in a rapid antigen test and will return to work in person on Tuesday, her spokesperson said in a statement. ASIA PACIFIC

** Hong Kong will further ease COVID-19 restrictions, allowing bars to open until 2 a.m. and increasing the number of diners allowed at a table from four to eight, as cases in the global financial hub continue to subside, said leader Carrie Lam. AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

* Africa’s first COVID-19 vaccine factory, touted last year as a trailblazer for an undervaccinated continent frustrated by slow Western donations, is at risk of closing after receiving no orders, a senior official said. company manager. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Asthma in children may worsen after infection with coronavirus, doctors warn. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Australia’s central bank on Tuesday raised its main benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 0.35%, its first hike in more than a decade, and signaled more to come as it lifts the curtain on the pandemic relaunch. * Comments from a group of prominent Taiwanese companies in the industry over the past week offer insight into both the opportunities and challenges they face: a strong market for products, particularly in automotive and high-end computing, but difficulties in securing inputs, especially from places in China limited by COVID-19 lockdowns.

* As inflation places the heaviest burden on the poorest, relatively well-off Indians are feeling the kind of pressure to make cuts to household budgets not seen in years. * Australian consumer sentiment took a nosedive last week as a shocking inflation reading stoked concerns over the cost of living and a possible interest rate hike, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

* The U.S. economy is expected to continue expanding this year despite a surprise contraction in the first quarter, the U.S. Treasury’s chief economist said, adding that inflation could peak.

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