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Retrieved from: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Susan Heavey
People queue for a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test at a popup COVID-19 testing site as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 27, 2021. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
President Joe Biden on Monday pledged to ease a shortage of COVID-19 tests as the Omicron variant threatened to overwhelm hospitals and stifle travel plans as it spreads across the United States this holiday week.
"Seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows that we have more work to do," Biden said as he joined a call with the administration's COVID-19 response team and state governors. "It's clearly not enough."
Biden said his administration's steps include using the Defense Production Act to boost at-home test manufacturing and making it easier to use the Google (GOOGL.O) search engine to find a nearby testing location.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it was shortening the recommended time for isolation for Americans with COVID-19 to five days, as long as they show no symptoms, from its previous guidance of 10 days.
U.S. and state officials are bracing for a wave of more cases following the Christmas holiday, with hospitalizations ticking up and New Year celebrations yet to come.
Separately Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, urged people to avoid large New Year's gatherings.
Rising cases snarled air travel over the Christmas weekend, with thousands of flights canceled as flight crews contracted the virus. Curtailed cruises and limited availability of testing crimped other plans as the more transmissible variant took hold.
On Monday, U.S. airlines canceled nearly 1,000 flights, the fourth straight day of cancellations. Travel-related stocks fell.
Over the last seven days, the average number of new cases has surged 55% to an average of over 205,000 new infections per day, according to a Reuters tally.
The number of hospitalized COVID patients has risen 3% over the same period. Overall in December, the average number of new cases has risen 143% and hospitalizations climbed 31%.
Biden warned governors that the spike in cases would probably overwhelm some hospitals, stretching staff and equipment like ventilators, particularly in areas where fewer people are vaccinated.
He declined to answer a reporter's question about whether he endorses a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel, another step officials have discussed.
As Biden departed Washington for his home state of Delaware, he pledged cooperation with governors and said he had offered them any needed additional resources.
"They want to know what we think is going to happen," he said.
For New Year's Eve on Friday, officials say people who are vaccinated can safely gather with families, but larger celebrations are riskier.
"When we are talking about a New Year's Eve party ... I would recommend strongly stay away from that this year. There will be other years to do that, but not this year," Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser, told CNN.
"We really still need to be extremely careful," he said separately on MSNBC.
Last week, Biden announced reinforcements to bolster hospitals and testing, but some healthcare experts say that effort is too little, too late.
Peter Hotez, dean of Baylor College of Medicine's National School of Tropical Medicine, said problems were exacerbated by issues such as shortages of testing and healthcare workers.
"You put all those things together into the mix and we have a very dangerous situation coming now in the country in the next couple of weeks," he told MSNBC on Sunday.
Retrieved from: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-governors-meet-states-brace-holiday-omicron-spike-2021-12-27/
A woman walks past a graffitti depicting a healthcare worker embracing a man, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Cordoba, Argentina, July 10, 2021. Picture taken July 10, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Argentina almost doubled on Monday from Friday to 20,263 new infections, according to the country's health ministry, the highest daily tally in almost 6 months as the Omicron variant spreads around the world.
On Friday, the government had registered 11,181 new cases of the virus. While it publishes daily case counts on weekends, those numbers tend to be lower than on weekdays.
Argentina's government has not said how many of the new cases could be tied to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which also has been detected in most neighboring countries. Paraguay reported its first case on Monday.
The recent spike is still well below Argentina's record day for new infections. On July 1 it reported 41,080 new cases, according to Reuters data.
Still, deaths have not spiked in Argentina, according to the health ministry. The country has vaccinated 70% of its population with two doses and is currently offering booster shots to frontline workers and citizens over 60 years old.
South America in general is the most vaccinated region in the world, following a couple of crushing COVID waves.
Retrieved from: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/argentina-braces-new-covid-wave-cases-rise-highest-almost-6-months-2021-12-27/
A medical worker is seen while administering tests at the Bondi Beach drive-through coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing centre in the wake of an outbreak in Sydney, Australia, December 22, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Australia recorded another record surge in COVID-19 infections on Tuesday as an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant disrupted reopening of the economy, while state leaders argued over domestic border controls.
The country reported 10,269 new cases of the coronavirus in the previous day, according to a Reuters calculation of state figures, once again surpassing its peak of a day earlier, as it grapples with a planned reopening while the new variant rages.
The state of South Australia, which has been experiencing a flare-up, was yet to report its latest numbers.
There were five COVID-19 deaths reported, taking the total fatalities to just over 2,200 since the start of the pandemic. Authorities did not specify whether any of the new deaths were related to the Omicron variant.
The Omicron variant, which medical experts say is more transmissible but less virulent than previous strains, began to spread in Australia just as the country got underway with plans to reopen for good after nearly two years of stop-start lockdowns.
With the resumption of rising case numbers - despite a vaccination rate of more than 90% for Australians aged over 16 - the country's state leaders have brought back some containment measures like mandatory mask-wearing and QR code check-ins at public venues.
The rising case numbers have also led to mandatory self-isolation for thousands of workers in the hospitality, entertainment and airline sectors - the sectors worst hit by lockdowns - resulting in cancelled theatre shows, closed restaurants and postponed flights.
The outbreak has also fuelled a resumption of fractious domestic politics which defined much of the pandemic as some states resist calls to remove internal border controls.
New South Wales(NSW), home to Sydney and a third of Australia's 25 million population, called on neighbouring Queensland to shift from mandatory clinical testing at the point of origin to on-the-spot rapid antigen testing for people travelling there.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said a quarter of clinical tests in his state were "tourism tests" for asymptomatic people, bringing huge pressure of the health system, long testing queues and wait times of several days for results.
In one case, a Sydney testing clinic sent incorrect negative test results to 400COVID-positive people, then prematurely sent 950 people negative results when 486 were actually positive. The bungle was the result of "human error, and when people are under pressure, human errors are more frequent", said Hazzard.
He called on Queensland to scrap mandatory clinical tests immediately, rather than after Jan. 1 as planned, but the Queensland authorities said the policy was working.
Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath instead said the state would remove another testing rule for interstate arrivals: people arriving in the state would no longer have to take a virus test five days after arriving.
Australia's international border remains effectively closed, but Australian nationals may return without mandatory hotel quarantine and the country has said it would allow certain skilled workers and foreign students in.
Retrieved from: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/australia-covid-numbers-surge-omicron-outbreak-strains-domestic-politics-2021-12-28/
The Apple Store in Miami Beach, Fla., closed last week.Credit...Saul Martinez for The New York Times
Apple said on Monday that about 20 of its retail stores were closed because of a wave of Covid-19 cases among employees that had left the stores unsafe and understaffed.
A handful of stores in Washington State also closed because of storms, the company said.
Some of the stores had been closed as a precautionary measure to protect employees and customers from being infected; others were closed because not enough healthy employees were available to remain open.
“We regularly monitor conditions, and we will adjust our health measures to support the well-being of customers and employees,” Amy Bessette, an Apple spokeswoman, said in a statement, adding that workers were tested regularly.
Apple employees have been increasingly frustrated with their work environment as the Omicron variant has fueled a surge of cases around the country. On Christmas Eve, several dozen Apple workers walked out of stores to demand better pay, more sick leave and better working conditions.
This month, the company scrapped its planned February return-to-office date for white-collar workers, saying the new return date was to be determined based on virus conditions.
Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/business/apple-stores-closed-covid-omicron.html
Prime Minister Jean Castex, left, and Health Minister Olivier Veran outlined new restrictions on Monday to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.Credit...Stephane De Sakutin/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The French government on Monday set new limits on large public gatherings and stricter remote-working obligations but announced few other restrictions and kept schools open, sticking to its strategy of relying mainly on vaccinations to curb a record-breaking surge of cases.
“A new wave is unfolding across our continent with the Omicron variant,” Jean Castex, France’s prime minister, said at a news conference on Monday after a special cabinet meeting. But, he said, “vaccination remains at the heart of our strategy.”
France reported over 100,000 new cases on Friday, a record, and the average number of daily cases reached 70,000 over the past seven days, Mr. Castex said. “Our health workers are exhausted,” he added, warning that hospitals were coming under increasing strain.
But Mr. Castex said the government wouldn’t prolong the winter break and keep schools closed or impose a curfew on Dec. 31. He urged people to limit the size and number of their New Year’s Eve gatherings.
Instead, the government will limit the size of large public events, to 2,000 people for indoor settings and 5,000 for outdoor ones, for at least three weeks starting next Monday, Mr. Castex said.
When possible, working remotely will also become mandatory for at least 3 days per week, starting in January and for at least three weeks, Mr. Castex said. The isolation period for people who test positive for Covid-19 or who are in contact with anyone who is sick will also be reduced to avoid staffing shortages that could cripple the economy, he added.
“All of this feels like a never-ending movie,” Mr. Castex acknowledged. But he said France was far better off from last year thanks to its vaccination campaign. “We must continue and amplify this progress, to face the new wave,” he said.
President Emmanuel Macron, who is up for re-election in four months, has consistently refused to impose new curfews, closures or lockdowns, opting instead to focus his efforts on vaccinations. Nearly 75 percent of the French population is fully vaccinated, but roughly 6 million people have not received a single shot.
Some doctors and epidemiologists in France are growing increasingly worried that focusing solely on vaccination and shunning restrictions on public gatherings won’t be enough to prevent hospitalizations from rising significantly.
In an open letter to France’s health minister, published in the Journal du Dimanche newspaper on Saturday, 50 health professionals expressed alarm that more than 300,000 children and adolescents had tested positive for Covid-19 since November.
“It is important to do everything to minimize transmission risks among all age groups, and particularly in schools,” they wrote.
Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/12/27/world/cdc-quarantine-isolation-guidelines#france-sets-new-restrictions-amid-record-cases
By Johnny Diaz
Outbreaks have been reported aboard several Florida-based cruise ships this month.Credit...Chandan Khanna/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A Carnival Cruise Line ship returned to Miami on Sunday after multiple people onboard tested positive for the coronavirus, the cruise line said.
The ship, the Carnival Freedom, departed from Miami on Dec. 18 on an eight-day cruise when “a small number on board” were isolated because of a positive coronavirus test, the cruise line said in a statement. The company did not say how many guests or crew members were infected.
“Our protocols anticipate this possibility and we implement and adapt them as necessary to protect the health and safety of our guests and crew,’’ the cruise line said. “This was a vaccinated cruise and all guests were also tested” before the ship departed, the company said.
The cruise line said that “the rapid spread of the Omicron variant may shape how some destination authorities with limited medical resources may view even a small number of cases.”
The ship, which can carry nearly 3,000 passengers and 1,150 crew members, was not able to make planned stops in Bonaire and Aruba and instead made an “alternative visit” to Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, a company spokesman said.
One passenger shared on Twitter a photo of a letter from the captain who apologized for the stops and said that passengers would receive credit to use toward a future cruise.
The Carnival Freedom is the latest Florida-based cruise to be disrupted as the highly contagious Omicron variant drives up cases in much of the United States and Europe. Many lines have adjusted their rules for masking, testing and vaccines in response to the surge.
Last week, 55 fully vaccinated passengers and crew members on the Royal Caribbean ship Odyssey of the Seas tested positive, the cruise line said. The ship returned to its home port in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sunday. It was the second Royal Caribbean ship from Florida to report positive cases this month, after 48 people aboard the Symphony of the Seas tested positive for Covid-19 during a seven-night Caribbean cruise that departed from Miami.
The company said that all of its crew members were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and were tested weekly.
Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/world/carnival-cruise-covid.html
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