FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Italy made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people from the age of 50, one of very few European countries to take similar steps. AMERICAS * Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned against complacency about the Omicron variant, saying the sheer number of cases could strain hospitals despite signs of lower severity. * The U.S. Postal Service has asked the Biden administration for temporary relief from new vaccine or testing requirements covering large businesses for its 650,000 employees, warning of potentially "catastrophic" impacts.

Countries are moving swiftly to vaccinate more citizens and expand vaccine mandates, as an Omicron-driven surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to strain healthcare systems and forces suspension of companies' operations and event cancellations. 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

* Britain and Israel are overhauling their COVID-19 testing policies as governments seek to ease the burden on laboratories and struggle with tight supplies of kits amid soaring infection rates fuelled by the Omicron variant. * Italy made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people from the age of 50, one of very few European countries to take similar steps.

AMERICAS * Top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci warned against complacency about the Omicron variant, saying the sheer number of cases could strain hospitals despite signs of lower severity.

* The U.S. Postal Service has asked the Biden administration for temporary relief from the new vaccine or testing requirements covering large businesses for its 650,000 employees, warning of potentially "catastrophic" impacts. * Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line canceled sailings amid rising fears of Omicron-related infections.

* The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it expanded the eligibility of Pfizer/BioNTech's booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. * This year's Grammy Awards ceremony honouring top performances in music has been postponed indefinitely because of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

* Canadians are angered by people who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, and he also promised more than 100 million rapid tests will be distributed quickly to provinces that are eagerly waiting. * Brazil's Health Ministry said it will go ahead with the voluntary vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 years old against COVID-19 and dropped plans to require a doctor's prescription.

ASIA-PACIFIC * India's new cases soared to 90,928 in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, from 58,097 a day earlier.

* Thailand raised its COVID-19 alert level following rising infections. * U.S. military bases in Japan introduced stricter COVID-19 measures after the government expressed grave concern about a surge of new infections and called for restrictions on the movement of U.S. personnel.

* Hong Kong announced a two-week ban on incoming flights from eight countries, including the United States and Britain, and tightened restrictions as authorities feared the fifth wave of infections. AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

* Israel changed its quarantine and testing policy in an effort to ensure continued protection for vulnerable populations from a surge in infections. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Pfizer expects the latest results from a clinical trial for kids under the age of 5 of the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with BioNTech by April. * India has not added Merck's COVID-19 pill to its national treatment protocol for the disease due to known safety concerns that have restricted its use elsewhere, a senior health official said on Wednesday.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * Asian shares fell on Thursday, extending a global slump after Federal Reserve meeting minutes pointed to a faster-than-expected rise in U.S. interest rates due to concerns about persistent inflation.

* Shopper numbers in Britain deteriorated sharply in December, to 18.6% below 2019's level compared with November's 14.5% decline, industry data showed. * New car registrations in Britain last year grew slightly from 2020 but were still far below pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a shortage of semiconductors as well as the direct impact of the pandemic.

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