Also on Tuesday, the CDC released the findings of an investigation into one of the earliest omicron clusters in the United States that indicates the variant could have a shorter incubation period, of about three days, than previous versions of the virus.
The research examined just six people in one household in Nebraska, and the CDC cautioned that the sample size was too small to draw concrete conclusions. But experts say a shorter incubation period could help authorities identify infections faster, potentially reducing the number of close contacts.
Here’s what to know
Key coronavirus updates from around the world
Return to menuHere’s what to know about the top coronavirus stories around the globe from news service reports.
- India has approved two new vaccines, Corbevax and Covovax, and the anti-viral drug Molnupiravir, for “restricted use in emergency situation,” Reuters reported Tuesday as cases of the omicron variant continue to rise across states.
- New Zealand’s health ministry confirmed its first community exposure to omicron, attributing the infection to a person who arrived in the country from the United Kingdom earlier this month before visiting several locations in Auckland. Officials said Wednesday that contact tracing was underway.
- France’s government has defended plans to allow only fully vaccinated people to enter spaces such as restaurants, cinemas and museums, as it attempts to encourage unvaccinated people to get their shots.
- While Asia has largely avoided a huge wave of omicron infections through early lockdowns, continued use of face masks and renewed restrictions, experts say the next few months will likely present a challenge for countries that make up the world’s largest continent.
France, Italy and U.K. report record levels of new cases
Return to menuNew coronavirus cases are being reported at record levels in France, Italy and Britain as Europe faces a swell of infections brought by the more contagious omicron variant.
France is reporting more than 70,000 new infections each day, based on a weekly average, according to the Our World in Data project, which tracks coronavirus cases. The wave has surpassed France’s previous peak of more than 61,000 cases daily in November last year.
Italy on Monday logged a seven-day rolling average of almost 39,000 cases, also surpassing the peak of its wave in fall 2020. Meanwhile, in Britain, a seven-day average of more than 113,000 new cases was reported Tuesday.
Hospitalizations are still far lower in the three countries than during previous surges. Though increases in hospitalizations often lag behind spikes in cases, health officials are optimistic that vaccinations may prevent large increases in cases of severe illness. Hospitalizations have risen most sharply in France, where weekly admissions have surpassed 8,500, up from about 1,500 at the start of last month, according to Our World in Data.
The record numbers mirror similar surges around the world, fueled by the omicron variant. The United States on Tuesday was averaging more than 266,000 new cases each day, according to a Washington Post tally, surpassing its previous peak from last winter.
Across Europe, officials are bringing back restrictions that many had thought were behind them — Ireland ordered pubs to close at 8 p.m., and Greece, Italy and Spain brought back outdoor mask mandates.
Australian states ease domestic border testing rules
Return to menuAustralian states are easing requirements for travelers to present negative PCR tests to cross domestic borders, after the rules led to thousands of vacationers overwhelming testing centers over the Christmas period. Australia logged more than 18,000 coronavirus infections Wednesday, the highest number since the start of the pandemic.
The tropical state of Queensland said that starting Jan. 1, it would no longer require visitors to present a negative PCR test at the border and would instead accept results from rapid antigen tests, which can be performed at home.
Hours later, Brad Hazzard, health minister for New South Wales state, Australia’s most populous, told residents to “get out of the queue” for testing if the purpose was to get into Queensland.
Australians have reported waiting in lines for up to eight hours and then waiting up to six days to receive test results. According to Australian network 9 News, some people slept in cars outside a clinic overnight to secure an early-morning test slot in Coffs Harbour, a New South Wales town near the Queensland border. Elsewhere in New South Wales, people were turned away from test sites.
“You can’t get tested for love or money” in parts of the country, Anthony Albanese, who leads the opposition Labor Party at the federal level, said Wednesday.
Only the small island state of Tasmania still requires a negative PCR test for entry. There are no testing requirements for New South Wales and Victoria, the two most populous states. Western Australia still bars most people from entering and even then has strict hotel quarantine requirements.
States have begun acquiring rapid antigen tests in response to global shortages, with the Victorian government announcing it would start providing free tests in the coming weeks.
Leaders urge Americans to cancel New Year’s plans: ‘Omicron and delta are coming to your party’
Return to menuLeaders and public health experts across the country are urging Americans to scrap their New Year’s Eve plans and stay home for the second year in a row as new cases of the coronavirus spread at a record-setting pace.
The volley of warnings serves as yet another reminder that the pandemic is far from over, with the omicron variant spurring a familiar pattern of cautions and cancellations during a time when many hoped to reclaim a sense of normalcy.
But instead of partying like it’s 2019, officials are asking people to reconsider gatherings and other revelry to fight rising case counts, which on Tuesday hit an all-time high when the seven-day average of new infections topped 266,000.
Smithsonian closes some museums through Sunday because of staffing shortages
Return to menuThe Smithsonian will close four of its smaller museums through Jan. 2 because of coronavirus-related staffing shortages in its security and facilities departments.
The National Museum of African Art, the National Postal Museum, the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of Asian Art (Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery) will be closed for five days so the Smithsonian can move guards and other essential employees to the better-attended museums on the Mall.
“Like many other organizations, the Smithsonian has been managing the direct and indirect outcomes of the latest surge in covid infections caused by the omicron variant,” the Smithsonian said in a statement posted on its website Tuesday. “Over the last few days, the Smithsonian has seen an increase in positive covid cases and associated quarantine periods among our essential and operational staff.”
As NFL playoffs approach, growing coronavirus issues threaten competitive balance
Return to menuIt isn’t often that an NFL coach awards a game ball to his team’s general manager after a big victory. But unusual times call for unusual measures, and after the Indianapolis Colts had to place three players on their covid-19 reserve list on game day and promote six players to their roster as replacements, Coach Frank Reich recognized Chris Ballard following Saturday’s triumph at the Arizona Cardinals.
“When you get a day like this and you need everybody on the roster,” Reich said that night, “you thank the man that put it together.”
The finish line to the NFL’s regular season is clearly in sight, with two weeks left. But the task to complete that regular season, not to mention the postseason that is to follow, has become daunting in recent weeks as the league deals with a major surge in coronavirus cases attributable to the growing prevalence of the omicron variant.
Covid is spreading on cruises again. This time, they plan to keep sailing.
Return to menuThe cruise industry thought it had adapted to covid-19. After emerging from a 15-month shutdown with a slew of new regulations approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ships got back on the water in late June. Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald said in a December earnings call that the company had established “effective” protocols for the 65,000 workers and 50 ships back in operation.
Now, though, the omicron variant of the coronavirus has changed the climate. Through Tuesday, 86 cruise ships carrying passengers in U.S. waters were reporting coronavirus cases onboard, the most since the comeback, according to CDC tracking data.
Over the past week of holiday travel, stories of outbreaks, customers isolating in their cabins and ports turning away ships evoked conditions that brought cruising to a halt in March 2020, albeit without the severe cases or deaths that marked the first wave of the pandemic. Cruise lines have imposed stricter measures since the omicron variant’s discovery, and no industry-wide pause appears to be in sight.
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