FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* A panel of Japan's health ministry delayed emergency approval on Wednesday for a highly anticipated oral treatment against COVID-19 that has been developed by Shionogi & Co Ltd . * Macau will reopen its casinos on Saturday, authorities said as they seek to unwind some stringent measures which locked down the world's biggest gambling hub for 12 days to curb its worst outbreak of COVID-19.

Shenzhen vowed to "mobilize all resources" to curb a slowly spreading COVID-19 outbreak, ordering strict implementation of testing and temperature checks, and lockdowns for COVID-affected buildings, while Shanghai extended a testing order for residents to end August. DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

* Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of the news. ASIA-PACIFIC

* Mainland China reported 943 new coronavirus cases for July 20, of which 200 were symptomatic and 743 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. * A panel of Japan's health ministry delayed emergency approval on Wednesday for a highly anticipated oral treatment against COVID-19 that has been developed by Shionogi & Co Ltd.

* Macau will reopen its casinos on Saturday, authorities said as they seek to unwind some stringent measures which locked down the world's biggest gambling hub for 12 days to curb its worst outbreak of COVID-19. EUROPE

* The European Commission has dropped nearly all of its order of 60 million doses of a new COVID-19 vaccine from French firm Valneva, the EU executive said on Wednesday, in a move that all but wipes out the shot's value for the company. * An alliance of companies has pledged to ensure equitable access to vaccines and treatments for pandemics, as the friction around intellectual property rights for COVID-19 interventions between the pharmaceutical industry and developing nations endures.

AMERICAS * The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday recommended the use of Novavax Inc's COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 18 and above.

* A new wave of COVID-19 cases and rising hospitalizations ahead of an October election are creating fresh headaches for Quebec's government, which says it has no plans to reintroduce mask mandates in the Canadian province despite calls by some doctors to do so. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 whose blood flows less freely than normal are at higher risk of death from complications, a U.S. study showed. The findings indicate that measurement of blood viscosity, or blood thickness, should be a regular part of these patients' medical work-up, the researchers said. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* The Bank of Japan raised its inflation forecast on Thursday but maintained ultra-low interest rates and warned of risks to a fragile economy, reinforcing its position as an outlier in a wave of global central bank policy tightening. * South African inflation surged to a 13-year high in June, data showed on Wednesday, moving further away from the central bank's target the day before an interest rate announcement.

* U.S. existing home sales fell for a fifth straight month in June to the lowest level in two years, as fast-rising interest rates and record-high selling prices make buying a home too expensive for a growing share of American households. * Japan ran a trade deficit for the 11th straight month in June as high energy and other commodity costs pushed up imports, highlighting growing economic pressures from a sharply declining yen and global inflation.

* Asian stocks inched lower while the dollar held firm on Thursday as a looming interest rate hike in Europe and uncertainty over the westward supply of Russian gas kept traders on edge.