FACTBOX-Latest on the worldwide spread of the coronavirus

* Pfizer said it received special approval in Japan for its COVID-19 vaccine to be given to children aged 5-11. AMERICAS * The Biden administration is giving U.S. colleges and universities another $198 million to help them curb COVID-19 and address student needs such as housing and food amid the ongoing pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education said. * The premier of Canada's Alberta province called on the federal government to pause a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers that companies say will disrupt the supply chain and fuel inflation.

The state of Western Australia has canceled plans to reopen its borders on Feb. 5 citing health risks from a surge in Omicron cases elsewhere in the country, as the tally of coronavirus cases in Australia since the pandemic began topped 2 million. 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

* France will ease work-from-home rules from early February and allow nightclubs to reopen two weeks later as the general COVID-19 situation in the country is starting to improve, Prime Minister Jean Castex said. * Austria's lower house of parliament passed a bill making COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for adults as of Feb. 1, bringing the country closer to introducing the first such sweeping vaccine mandate in the European Union.

ASIA-PACIFIC * China reported the lowest daily tally of locally confirmed cases in nearly two months, after a national strategy to quickly curb flare-ups forced worst-hit cities to lockdown affected communities and cut business activity.

* The Beijing Winter Olympics torch relay will be cordoned off from the public because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, organizers said on Friday. * Pfizer said it received special approval in Japan for its COVID-19 vaccine to be given to children aged 5-11.

AMERICAS * The Biden administration is giving U.S. colleges and universities another $198 million to help them curb COVID-19 and address student needs such as housing and food amid the ongoing pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education said.

* The premiere of Canada's Alberta province called on the federal government to pause a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers that companies say will disrupt the supply chain and fuel inflation. AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST

* Israel will ditch mandatory quarantine for children exposed to COVID-19 carriers, the government said, citing a need to relieve parents and schools as case numbers spiral due to the fast-spreading Omicron variant. MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* Omicron 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. * Brazilian health regulator Anvisa has approved the emergency use of Sinovac Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Coronavac on those without underlying health risks aged 6 to 17.

* A small preliminary laboratory study has shown that levels of Omicron-neutralising antibodies of people vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine did not decline as much as of those who had Pfizer shots. ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Asian share markets tumbled, tracking losses on Wall Street, as lingering concerns over the Federal Reserve's tightening and weaker-than-expected economic and earnings data weighed on sentiment. * Brazil's central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto said the Omicron variant has not yet had a major impact on the country's economy and was not expected to because the government has not placed restrictions on mobility.

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