Flights delayed, canceled; Fauci warns omicron to burn infections: COVID updates
More than 4,000 flights have been delayed or canceled across the country on Sunday, amid the latest omicron-driven coronavirus.
Nearly 1,000 flights in, leaving or flying in the United States were canceled and about 3,500 were delayed Sunday, according to tracking site FlightAware. More than 4,000 flights were delayed or canceled on Christmas Day as days of nightmare planning made holidaymakers smoke.
Delta, United and JetBlue have blamed the omicron variant for manning problems that led to cancellations of flights.
“This was unexpected,”[ads1]; United spokesman Maddie King said of omicron’s impact on staffing.
Flight delays and cancellations have been a recurring theme this year as airlines have increased timetables. Thousands of workers were driven from industry last year when air traffic collapsed, and staffing has not kept pace with growing demand.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading doctor for infectious diseases, said on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that he supports a vaccine mandate for domestic flights. But, he said, wearing a mask with proper filtration should keep air travelers reasonably safe.
Such a mandate would be another “mechanism that would encourage them to get vaccinated,” he said. “Anything that can get people more vaccinated will be welcome.”
Many US airlines require employees to be fully vaccinated, which is controversial among some employees, but it is not yet required by most domestic passengers. International travelers entering the United States must show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test within one day of departure.
Also in the news:
► Even with testing and reporting interrupted by the Christmas holidays, US case numbers grew – 1.29 million in a week, or an average of around 184,000 per day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Hospital admissions increased and deaths rose slightly, to an average of over 1,300 per day.
► Vice President Kamala Harris refused to blame the unvaccinated for the recent increase. “But it’s clear that everyone has the opportunity to make a choice to save their lives and prevent hospitalization if they are vaccinated and if they get the booster,” she told CBS.Meet the nation. ”
► Mastercard SpendingPulse reported on Sunday that sales of public holidays in the US rose 8.5% from the previous year. The results cover November 1 to December 24.
► Vermont Everyone Eats, a food aid program that helps state residents, restaurants and farmers get through the pandemic, has been extended to April 1st.
► France has registered more than 100,000 viral infections in a single day for the first time since the pandemic hit. COVID-19 hospital admissions have doubled in the last month.
► More than 160 non-profit organizations in Rhode Island share $ 5.4 million in federal coronavirus assistance for housing, behavioral health, health care, job training, pantry and child care for those hardest hit by the pandemic.
?Today’s numbers: The United States has registered more than 52 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 816,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Global totals: More than 279.1 million cases and 5.3 million deaths. More than 204 million Americans – 61.7% – are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
? What we read: The Omicron variant has thrown the United States’ major return to the office in disarray, perhaps for several months. Many companies that had notified employees that they had to return to the office at least part-time early next year have postponed these plans or are considering doing so. Read more.
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Fauci expects daily infections to increase “much higher”
The “extraordinarily contagious” omicron variant will continue to increase daily coronavirus infections across the country, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday.
“Every day it goes up and up. The last weekly average was about 150,000 (per day), and it will probably go much higher,” Fauci said on ABCs «This Week».
President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser warned that while studies show that omicron is less serious when it comes to hospitalizations, several cases can still overwhelm hospitals. He defended the administration’s efforts to provide more tests in the midst of a shortage, and said he wished he had thought about ordering 500 million home tests two months ago.
“I think things will improve significantly when we get into January,” he said. “But it does not help us today and tomorrow.”
Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl shelved like surge lame college football
The Fenway Bowl and Military Bowl were canceled due to the pandemic on Sunday when coronavirus outbreaks at the University of Virginia and Boston College forced schools to cancel plans after the season. The match, scheduled for Wednesday at Fenway Park in Boston, was to set the Cavaliers against Southern Methodist University. The Military Bowl, scheduled for Monday in Annapolis, Maryland, between Boston College and East Carolina University, was canceled due to positive COVID-19 tests at BC.
“This is not how we wanted to see this season end,” said BC coach Jeff Hafley. “We just do not have enough players to play a game safely.”
The Hawaii Bowl was canceled last week after Hawaii withdrew from the game against the University of Memphis. And the Rutgers will replace Texas A&M in the Gator Bowl against Wake Forest on New Year’s Eve after the Aggies withdrew due to a lack of available players.
Florida sets infection records two days in a row
Florida broke the record in the pandemic for the second day in a row, with 32,850 new cases reported Saturday. The 31,758 cases reported on Friday had broken the state’s previous record of more than 27,000, set in August below the height of the delta wave. The current increase is driven by the highly contagious omicron variant, say public health experts.
The growing number of cases increased the demand for COVID-19 tests, even on Christmas Day. Hours before a test site opened in Tropical Park in Miami, dozens of cars lined up outside the entrance. The test site was open from mid-morning to mid-afternoon; Two other sites in Miami-Dade County were open on Christmas Day.
The NBA encourages booster shots for players
The NBA’s Christmas message to the teams was a chorus they’ve been using for weeks: Get a boost.
With the number of players on the league’s list of health and safety protocols hovering around 100 – and with Chicago coach Billy Donovan now also taking care of these protocols, which calls into question his availability for the next Bulls matches – the league and National Basketball The Players Association continues to hammer on the importance of booster shots.
By December 31, each NBA team must host a booster-shot event for players, staff and family members, the last mandate from the league in its quest to control the soaring infections. The NBA has told teams that their data shows that boosters reduce a person’s risk of becoming infected significantly, but one in three players has not received a booster shot. About 97% of the league is vaccinated.
This is because the league’s booster mandate on 5 January is approaching for all qualified personnel on the scoreboard, team follow-up and other employees who communicate personally with players or referees. In almost all cases, if people in these positions do not have boosters by January 5, they will not be allowed to continue in these jobs.
Positive COVID test? Here’s what to do.
Testing positive for COVID-19 is starting a confusing, disruptive and at times frightening process – a process that millions of Americans are likely to go through in the coming weeks as the omicron variant spreads rapidly this holiday season.
First you need to insulate. It’s a more intense version of quarantine – it means cutting contact with other people as much as possible so you reduce the chance of infecting them. This also means giving up travel, not going to work and even limiting contact with people in your own household who are not infected.
The CDC states that isolation is a necessary step whether you have been vaccinated or unvaccinated, and whether you have symptoms or are feeling well.
Anyone who tests positive for covid-19 should monitor their symptoms. And people who are unvaccinated or at high risk for serious illness should be extra vigilant for symptoms that may require emergency care. Call your doctor for early treatment options.
How long should you insulate? How long will I be contagious? What if you are in close contact with someone who tested positive? Here’s what you should know about omicron and COVID this holiday season.
Contributor: Mike Stucka, USA TODAY; Associated Press
