Factbox-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

(Reuters) - The global vaccine alliance Gavi is proposing to revamp distribution rules after COVAX allotted more doses to Britain than to Botswana, which is among other poorer nations that have fledgling vaccination drives at best.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

EUROPE

* The world's poorest countries have said they may struggle to meet visa requirements and cover all COVID-19 quarantine costs for the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, raising concerns that some might not be able to attend in person.

* The European Union's drug regulator said it was evaluating whether a booster dose of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine could be given at least six months after the second shot of the two-dose course in people over 12 years of age.

AMERICAS

* U.S. President Joe Biden rolled up his shirt sleeve for a COVID-19 vaccine booster inoculation on Monday, hoping to provide a powerful example for Americans on the need to get the extra shot even as millions go without their first.

* U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday morning, State Department said, after department spokesperson Ned Price tested positive for the disease and is quarantining.

* Chilean authorities announced the end of a state of emergency in force since the start of the pandemic, a sign of life returning to normal following a sharp decrease in cases in the country.

* Pedro Guimaraes, a member of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's delegation to the United Nations, has tested positive for COVID-19, the CEO of state lender Caixa Economica Federal said on Sunday.

* U.S. prosecutors have brought what is believed to be the first case against bank employees who allegedly exploited multi-billion dollar programs aimed at helping small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Japan plans to lift its COVID-19 state of emergency, which covers 19 prefectures, in all of the regions at the end of September, broadcaster NHK reported.

* Thailand's COVID-19 task force approved a plan to procure a combined 3.35 mln doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, a spokesperson said, as the country prepares to waive a quarantine requirement for vaccinated visitors.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein has contracted coronavirus and his parents King Abdullah and Queen Rania, who tested negative, will protectively self-isolate for five days, the palace said.

* Jordan will fully reopen its main border crossing with Syria from Wednesday, government and industry officials said, as a high-level Syrian team arrived in Amman to discuss how to ease the flow of goods hit by the pandemic and a decade of conflict.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Pfizer said it has started a large study testing its investigational oral antiviral drug for the prevention of COVID-19 infection among those who have been exposed to the virus.

* Japan has approved GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology's Sotrovimab as an antibody treatment for coronavirus, the country's health minister said.

* The World Health Organization is seeking to revive its stalled inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 with a new team, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* U.S. government borrowing costs advanced for a sixth week on Monday on bets that higher interest rates were on the way and global energy shares rose as crude oil prices hit three-year highs of almost $80 a barrel. [MKTS/GLOB]

* Britain's fuel retail sector, still recovering from COVID-19, is facing further disruption after a shortage of truck drivers hit supplies to gas stations and led to panic buying.

(Compiled by Sarah Morland, Juliette Portala and Vinay Dwivedi; Edited by William Maclean and Shounak Dasgupta)