FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* The Moroccan government said it has cancelled COVID-19 PCR test requirements for all incoming travellers. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * An antiviral oral drug being co-developed by Shanghai Junshi Biosciences' subsidiary and other Chinese institutes showed early promise in speeding the clearing of virus in COVID-19 patients, according to a small clinical trial. * Rising COVID-19 cases are driving up the use of therapeutics, with Pfizer Inc's oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid seeing a 315% jump over the past four weeks, U.S. health officials said.

The world is no better prepared for a new pandemic than it was when COVID-19 emerged in 2019, and may be in a worse place given the economic toll, a panel set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the global response found. 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 news. EUROPE

* A lack of clear information out of China in the early stages of the pandemic has left the whole world in a worse situation, British health minister Sajid Javid said. ASIA-PACIFIC

* China has removed certain COVID-19 test requirements for people flying in from countries including the United States and shortened the pre-departure quarantine period for some inbound travellers. * Health authorities in Shanghai face huge pressure to keep COVID-19 at bay the longer the city goes without a new community infection with residents counting down the days until June 1 and the end of their hated lockdown.

* Shanghai authorities have granted approval to 864 of the city's financial institutions to resume work, three sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. * Despite battling a wave of suspected infections, North Korea appears to be preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's first trip to South Korea, South Korean and U.S. officials said.

* A lack of storage, chronic power shortages and inadequately trained medical staff in North Korea pose acute challenges to inoculating its 25 million people - even with outside help, analysts said. * North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticised his country's response to its first confirmed COVID-19 outbreak as immature, accusing government officials of inadequacies and inertia as fever cases swept the country, state media reported.

AMERICAS * COVID-19 is rising in the Americas as many countries have abandoned measures such as masking and social distancing and many lag in vaccination rates, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said.

* U.S. Health officials are considering extending the eligibility for a second vaccine booster dose to people under 50 amid a steady rise in cases, with the United States seeing a threefold increase over the last month. AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE-EAST

* Only 17% of Africa's 1.3 billion population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in part because richer nations hoarded supply last year to the chagrin of African nations desperate for international supplies. Now though, as doses finally arrive in force in the continent, inoculation rates are falling. * The Moroccan government said it has cancelled COVID-19 PCR test requirements for all incoming travellers.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * An antiviral oral drug being co-developed by Shanghai Junshi Biosciences' subsidiary and other Chinese institutes showed early promise in speeding the clearing of virus in COVID-19 patients, according to a small clinical trial.

* Rising COVID-19 cases are driving up the use of therapeutics, with Pfizer Inc's oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid seeing a 315% jump over the past four weeks, U.S. health officials said. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Hong Kong-based COVID-19 testing firm Prenetics Ltd's shares fell 4.4% to $7.45 in their Nasdaq debut on Wednesday, following its merger with a U.S.-listed blank-check firm. * Japan's economy shrank for the first time in two quarters in the January-March period as COVID-19 curbs hit the service sector and surging commodity prices created new pressures, raising concerns about a protracted downturn.

* China's new-home prices in April fell for the first time month-on-month since December, depressed by fragile demand in small cities and strict, widespread COVID-19 lockdowns. (Compiled by Dina Kartit, Aditya Soni and Devika Syamnath; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu, Anil D'Silva and Barbara Lewis)

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