FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Thailand will resume its 'Test & Go' quarantine waiver for vaccinated arrivals from Feb. 1. AMERICAS * President Joe Biden acknowledged Americans' frustration as his first year in office came to an end on Wednesday, but said the United States was on track to meet considerable challenges from the pandemic and inflation. * Brazil reported 204,854 new cases in the past 24 hours, breaking the country's previous record for the second day in a row, its health ministry said on Wednesday.

The Omicron variant, which is spreading far faster than previous versions of the coronavirus, is not likely to help countries achieve so-called herd immunity against COVID-19, in which enough people become immune to the virus that it can no longer spread, leading disease experts to say. 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. EUROPE

* A wave of Omicron cases has not led to an increase in the hospitalization of the elderly that was expected despite there being more cases in that age group, Britain's science advisers said. * An investigation by Berlin prosecutors into undeclared COVID-19 bonuses paid to the German Green Party's top leadership will not take long since the money has already been repaid, economy minister and co-party leader Robert Habeck said.

* Austrian government said it was introducing a national lottery to encourage holdouts to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, hours before parliament was due to pass a bill introducing a national vaccine mandate. * The Russian capital reported a record pandemic high of 11,557 new cases in the last 24 hours and the daily nationwide number of new infections also rose sharply to 38,850.

ASIA-PACIFIC * China's capital Beijing ramped up efforts to curb infections, ordering checks among cold-chain firms and urging residents to cut unnecessary gatherings, as the city reported an uptick in local cases weeks before the Winter Olympics.

* India's wealthiest state Maharashtra will reopen schools next week, its education minister said as new cases of the Omicron variant fell sharply. * Japan's western prefecture of Osaka and two neighboring regions are expected to join in a widening declaration of COVID-19 prevention measures, Osaka's governor said.

* Taiwan will mandate the use of passes that provide proof of vaccination for entry into entertainment venues. * Thailand will resume its 'Test & Go' quarantine waiver for vaccinated arrivals from Feb. 1.

AMERICAS * President Joe Biden acknowledged Americans' frustration as his first year in office came to an end on Wednesday but said the United States was on track to meet considerable challenges from the pandemic and inflation.

* Brazil reported 204,854 new cases in the past 24 hours, breaking the country's previous record for the second day in a row, its health ministry said on Wednesday. AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

* Africa's top public health bodies called for donated COVID-19 vaccines to come with a shelf life of three to six months so countries could plan their rollouts and avoid a situation where doses expire. * Lebanon's healthcare system is crumbling amid an economic crisis that has led to an exodus of thousands of doctors and nurses, forced private hospitals to close some departments, and put further strains on the already stretched state sector.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS * A U.N.-backed agency has struck a deal for nearly 30 generic drugmakers to make low-cost versions of Merck's COVID-19 pill molnupiravir for poorer nations, widening access to a drug seen as a weapon in fighting the pandemic.

ECONOMIC IMPACT * European stocks fell as cautious investors continued to assess how far and fast the U.S. Federal Reserve will begin raising interest rates this year.

* U.S. Federal Reserve officials, having plotted what seemed a clear battle plan against high inflation, must now contend with fresh signs the coronavirus is again slowing the economy as well as markets conspiring to tighten financial conditions faster than Fed policymakers may have hoped.