Covid-19 Live Update: Cases, Vaccines, and Omicron Variants

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The office is Cancel a holiday party.Broadway performances The shutter is released Due to a breakthrough infection between casts.University finals Have been moved online..

Coronavirus cases have surged again in New York City, beyond what has been seen since last winter. Also, in much of the United States, the Delta version remains the overwhelmingly dominant version.Country is reporting Over 120,000 Average number of new cases per day According to the New York Times database — It increased by 40% from two weeks ago, and increased by 70% from the time when the decrease of cases stopped in early November.

Most unvaccinated people are still at much higher risk, but there is a combination of factors such as the spread of the infection, weakened immunity, and the circulation of highly infectious mutants. Caused a breakthrough infection among vaccinated people..

Several new laboratory studies show that vaccines, especially boosters, may provide substantial protection against. Worst result From the rapidly spreading Omicron coronavirus mutant. Still, studies show that new variants infect many people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from older versions of the virus.

The United States has passed two milestones this week — The total number of known cases is 50 million When Total death toll 800,000 — And experts say the addition of Omicron is likely to push the orbit further. Public health officials say this is also the case during the holiday season, when people travel, families gather indoors, and the virus is most likely to spread.

Outbreaks are most severely increased around the Great Lakes and in the northeast. In the state of Connecticut, an average of more than 2,600 new cases occur daily from about 330 cases in early November, and Rhode Island has the highest number of additional cases in the country. Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have the highest rates of hospitalization for the coronavirus.

In some hit states, federal health workers were dispatched to help exhausted hospital staff. Approximately 68,000 coronavirus patients are hospitalized nationwide, up 21% from two weeks ago, but well below the levels seen during the peak summer and last winter.

Biden administration officials are preparing for a potential wave of Omicron infections that could overwhelm the healthcare system.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recently, the proportion of cases of coronavirus in the United States has increased. What is caused by Omicron is skyrocketing and could signal a surge in infection soon next month.

The administration received a second Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination at least 6 months ago, or a single dose of Johnson & Johnson at least 2 months ago, for all eligible Americans. Booster for Americans over 16 years old.

Throughout the country, cultural institutions and many ordinary Americans are rethinking what is safe.Metropolitan Opera Announced on Wednesday Starting next month, all qualified employees and spectators will need booster shots. The NFL and NBA are discussing protocol changes to accommodate the wave of infection between players.Some Wall Street Banks Telling workers who went to the office to stay home during the holidays..

Similar surges and associated crackdowns are occurring in many countries, especially Europe.French government on Thursday Banned unnecessary travel to and from the UK and tightened traveler testing requirementsThe record surge in Omicron cases in the United Kingdom has raised concerns that France may soon face a tsunami of similar new infections.

As of Thursday, New York City reported an average of 3,700 new cases per day, a level not seen since early April.New York also reports high case roads — almost 13,000 new cases on Thursday — A level that hasn’t been seen since the holiday spike in January last year.

Officially, the city’s surveillance system only detected Omicron variants in about 3% of the cases analyzed as of the week of December 4. However, the CDC recently had about 13 percent of cases in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands in the United States.

“In the last few days, the number of cases of Covid has increased significantly. Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday that it is clear that a variant of Omicron is completely present here in New York City.”

Sarah Gancher, a New School teacher living in Queens, said eight of her fully vaccinated friends were positive this week. She said the speed at which the incident surged scared her.

“Literally that’s all I was thinking about,” Gancher said.

Sitting on a bench in Madison Square Park in Manhattan on Thursday morning, she opened her bag and showed her five home test kits she had just purchased. Some holiday parties she was scheduled to attend this weekend were canceled and she had booked a ticket back to California to visit her family, but she said she wasn’t sure how safe it was anymore. rice field.

“I’m really hurt and worried,” she said.

Ashley Wong, Mitch Smith When Joseph Goldstein Report that contributed.