Overview: Asia, Sweden, Africa, Israel developments

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* China reported 478 new coronavirus cases for July 7, of which 97 were symptomatic and 381 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Friday. read more

* Macau added two hotels in popular casino resorts to be used as COVID-19 medical facilities from Friday as they try to increase capacity to handle a surge of infections in the world's biggest gambling hub. read more

* Millions of people in Shanghai queued for a third day of mass COVID-19 testing on Thursday as authorities in several Chinese cities scrambled to stamp out new outbreaks that have rekindled worries about growth in the world's second-largest economy. read more

* Shanghai reopened most cinemas, sticking to a plan of gradual resumption of daily activities after it lifted a two-month COVID-19 lockdown in June, while also trying, like several other Chinese cities, to contain resurgent infections. read more

* Hong Kong has suspended a rule that banned individual flights for bringing in passengers infected with the COVID-19 virus, as it caused "unnecessary trouble" and inconvenience to residents of the global financial hub, the government said on Thursday. read more

* Sweden is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and healthcare can expect an increase in pressure over the summer, the health minister said on Thursday. read more

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* Africa's top public health body said on Thursday it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Pfizer PFE.N for countries on the continent to receive supplies of the Paxlovid pill to treat COVID-19. read more

ALSO SEE: South Africa's Afrigen partners with U.S. on mRNA vaccine research

* The Israeli Health Ministry on Wednesday gave the green light for the vaccination of children between the ages of 6 months to five years against COVID-19.

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