OVERVIEW: Europe, Asia, Latin American developments

Factbox: Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus Johnson & Johnson's newly authorized vaccine has started shipping, while a highly transmissible variant of coronavirus first identified in the Brazilian city of Manaus has been detected in Britain for the first time. Reuters Staff U.S.

(Reuters) - World Bank President David Malpass urged countries to enter contracts for vaccines now so they could get delivery schedules, saying it was vital to get started in more countries and work through more channels.

* Germany’s government and health chiefs urged the public to take AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, while Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said he was confident that restaurants could be allowed to partially open soon.

* Recreational venues in Finland’s capital region will be closed for two weeks, the Regional State Administrative Agency said, to curb a rise in infections in Helsinki and eight surrounding municipalities.

* Spain will give a single vaccine dose to under 55-year-olds who have already been infected with COVID-19, the Health Ministry said.

* Moldova’s medical agency said it had approved Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.

* Belgium put on hold an expected relaxation of restrictions after hospital admissions of people infected with COVID-19 spiked.

* Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a bill that gives indemnity to vaccine makers if their COVID-19 shots cause adverse side-effects.

* India said it would let people choose their coronavirus vaccination centres when the campaign expands next week, effectively letting beneficiaries pick either a home-grown shot or the AstraZeneca one, unlike now. ...

* South Korea began its inoculation campaign, with shots to be administered in some 200 nursing homes.

* Taiwan could begin administering its home-made COVID-19 vaccines as early as July, the health minister said, with the island still awaiting the arrival of imported vaccines to begin its immunisation campaign. ...

ALSO SEE: Amid scramble for COVID-19 vaccine, Latin America turns to Russia