FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

EUROPE * The launch of BioNTech's vaccine adapted to the Omicron coronavirus variant may be delayed due to a disagreement with the regulator over the approval process, the Welt Am Sonntag (WAS) newspaper reported on Saturday.

Some regions in Asia sought to ease COVID-19 restrictions after a steep fall in infections, while some vaccine makers flagged positive outcomes from their Omicron-specific booster doses. 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

* Beijing said on Saturday it would allow primary and secondary schools to resume in-person classes and Shanghai's top party boss declared victory over COVID-19 after the city reported zero new local cases for the first time in two months. * Shanghai will gradually resume dining-in at restaurants from June 29 in low-risk areas and areas without any community-level spread of COVID-19 during the previous week, a Shanghai government official said on Sunday.

* Macau launched the third round of mandatory COVID-19 testing for its more than 600,000 residents, in a push to curb a rise in infections in the world's biggest gambling hub. EUROPE

* The launch of BioNTech's vaccine adapted to the Omicron coronavirus variant may be delayed due to a disagreement with the regulator over the approval process, the Welt Am Sonntag (WAS) newspaper reported on Saturday. AMERICAS

* Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE said a booster dose of updated versions of their COVID-19 vaccine, modified specifically to combat the Omicron coronavirus variant, generated a higher immune response against that variant. AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST

* China's Sinovac Biotech said South Africa's health products regulator granted conditional registration to its coronavirus vaccine, CoronaVac, for people aged 18 and above. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Late-stage data on an experimental COVID-19 vaccine from Sanofi and GSK has shown the shot confers protection against the Omicron variant of the virus, the companies said. * The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had recommended Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents aged 6 to 17, allowing a rollout of the shots to begin for that age group.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Profits at China's industrial firms shrank at a slower pace in May following a sharp fall in April, as activity in major manufacturing hubs resumed, but COVID-19 restrictions still weighed on factory production and squeezed factory margins.

* H&M has shut its flagship Shanghai store, its latest closure in China where consumer demand has slumped amid COVID-19 lockdowns and the fast-fashion retailer has borne the brunt of a backlash against companies that refuse to use Xinjiang cotton.