(Bloomberg) — Two of New York City’s biggest shows, “Hamilton” and the Radio City Rockettes’ “Christmas Spectacular,” have been forced to cancel shows because of outbreaks. The NFL will postpone several games this weekend because of the surge in cases, CNBC reported, citing sources.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the recent spike in cases won’t prompt another school shutdown ahead of the winter break.
Ohio and Maryland moved to ease pressure on hospitals already overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients and the omicron variant spreading rapidly. Unvaccinated kids who come in contact with someone with the virus shouldn’t be required to stay home from school if they test negative and meet other criteria, U.S. public-health officials said.
The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus is starting to rise in London, the latest sign that omicron has taken hold in the capital. The U.K. hit record infections for the third consecutive day.
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 273.3 million; deaths top 5.3 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.64 billion shots given
- Biden team amps up warnings to unvaccinated as omicron spreads
- Next Africa: The world’s omicron laboratory
- Omicron gets around previous Covid infection, U.K. study warns
- What quarantine is like inside Hong Kong’s bleak, high-security camp
Cornell Sample of Tests All Omicron (2:34 p.m. NY)
Positive tests from Cornell University students show a high rate of omicron transmission among 18-to-24 year-olds, the Tompkins County Health Department reported.
Among a batch of 115 positive cases, prioritized for sequencing due to the rapid spread observed, all showed infection from the omicron variant, the department said.
County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa said that no severe disease has developed in those infected with the variant, and hospitalizations have not increased, but that the testing shows the spread of the virus in the community is stemming from the new variant.
Separately, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the number of confirmed omicron cases in the state has gone from 50 to 250 in a matter of days, during a Friday interview on CNN. She noted that sequencing can lag cases, which are “going up exponentially.”
Texas Cases Surge 43% in One Week (2:26 p.m. NY)
Texas has seen a 43% rise in new cases in the past week as hospitals in some regions of the second-largest U.S. state grapple with the latest wave.
There were 5,011 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, a 17% increase in one day, state health department figures showed on Friday. The surge comes as medical centers in the Amarillo area are running low on adult intensive-case beds and have exhausted pediatric ICU capacity.
In the Lone Star state’s other hot spot, in the border city of El Paso, there are just five adult ICU beds available for a region with almost 900,000 inhabitants, state figures showed. Statewide, almost one-third of hospitalized virus patients require ICU care.
Ireland Tightens Curbs With Omicron Rising (1:50 p.m. NY)
Ireland will close bars and restaurants at 8 p.m. from Sunday and cut capacity at indoor and outdoor events in a bid to slow the spread of the omicron variant. While takeaway and delivery services will remain open, hospitality, cinemas, sports and cultural gatherings must end early until Jan. 30, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said in an address Friday evening.
Omicron now accounts for about 35% of new cases, Martin said, and warned of a “very significant wave” over the Christmas period.
Austria Tightens Rules for Entry (12:51 p.m. NY)
Austria will enforce stricter entry criteria starting next week to limit the spread of the omicron variant, including a negative Covid-19 test for anyone who hasn’t gotten a booster shot.
Only people who have been vaccinated or have recently recovered from the virus will be allowed to enter starting Monday, the Health Ministry said in a statement Friday. Residents can return home, but face a 10-day quarantine if they aren’t vaccinated.
Italy Regions Tighten Curbs (12:45 p.m. NY)
Italy will move three regions, Veneto, Marche and Liguria and the province of Trento, to the list of so-called yellow zones. This means some further restrictions, including the mandatory use of masks even outdoor, will start on Monday.
The country reported 28,632 new cases Friday, the most in more than a year. Patients in intensive care units rose by 6 to 923, well below a peak of more than 4,000 last year. There were 55 identified omicron variant cases, health officials said during a press conference.
CDC Calls for Testing Unvaccinated Pupils (12:27 p.m. NY)
Unvaccinated kids who come in contact with someone with Covid-19 shouldn’t be required to stay home from school if they test negative and meet other criteria, U.S. public-health officials said.
Called “test-to-stay,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for schools calls for at least two tests within seven days after an exposure. If children meet those and other criteria, they can stay in school even if they haven’t been immunized.
Moderna Heart Risk Higher Than Pfizer: Study (12:20 p.m. NY)
The risk of rare heart inflammation side effects was as much as four times higher in people who received Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 shot than in those who got the vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, according to researchers in Denmark.
London Hospitalizations Rise (12:15 p.m. NY)
The number of people hospitalized with coronavirus is starting to rise in London, the latest sign that omicron has taken hold in the capital.
It comes as the U.K. reported its third consecutive day of record numbers of new coronavirus cases. Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, warned on Wednesday that the “phenomenal pace” at which the strain is spreading will trigger a surge in admissions to hospital over Christmas.
NYC Schools Won’t Shut, Mayor Says (12 p.m. NY)
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the recent spike in Covid cases won’t prompt another school shutdown ahead of the winter break. He said the positivity rate in schools is 1%, compared to over 5% across the city and that a shutdown would be too “traumatizing.”
Still, cases have increased rapidly. Between the start of school and the end of November, there had been three full school shutdowns and roughly 2,500 classroom closings during the school year, according to city Department of Education data. The city has now closed six entire schools and 4,200 classrooms during the school year.
Big NYC Shows Canceled (11:47 a.m. NY)
Two of New York City’s biggest shows, “Hamilton” and the Radio City Rockettes’ “Christmas Spectacular,” have been forced to cancel shows because of Covid-19 outbreaks.
The Rockettes announced that four shows were canceled for Friday “due to breakthrough Covid-19 cases in the production,” according to a statement. Friday’s performance of “Hamilton” was also called off because of breakthrough cases, the production said in a tweet.
Ohio, Maryland Act on Crowded Hospitals (11:37 a.m. NY)
Ohio and Maryland moved to ease pressure on hospitals already overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients and the omicron variant spreading rapidly.
Governor Mike DeWine ordered 1,050 members of the Ohio National Guard to help in hospitals, including 150 doctors, nurses and other medical staff.
With Covid hospitalizations at their highest in a year, he said under-staffing is the most critical issue. “Our medical personnel have just been slammed,” he said at a Friday briefing.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered a reduction in non-essential procedures. In both states, non-vaccinated people make up most of the hospitalizations.
British Airways Halts HK Flights (10:58 a.m. NY)
British Airways put flights to Hong Kong on hold until March after the imposition of strict quarantine rules by the Asian financial hub’s government saw airline crews forced to isolate in a makeshift camp.
Hospitalization of Vaccinated Rises in S. Africa (10:47 a.m. NY)
The percentage of hospital admissions among those who’ve been vaccinated is rising in South Africa’s omicron-driven wave, according to one of the nation’s largest health-insurance administrators.
That may be because vaccine effectiveness is waning over time, Medscheme, which covers more than 3.8 million clients, said in a statement Friday. The increase may also be because vaccines are providing reduced protection against the omicron variant, it said.
Swiss Tighten Curbs on Unvaccinated (9:34 a.m. NY)
Switzerland will exclude the unvaccinated from large parts of public life to curb coronavirus infections and protect the health-care system.
From Dec. 20, the country will limit entry to restaurants, gyms and other public indoor venues to those who have been inoculated or have recovered from the virus, the government said Friday. Switzerland will also reintroduce a work-from-home requirement.
Pfizer to Study Doses in Kids (9:19 a.m. NY)
Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE plan to study a three-dose regimen of their Covid-19 vaccine in children 6 months to 4 years old, the companies said in a statement.
The vaccine partners amended their clinical trial protocol following a request by an external, independent data monitoring committee that found that the two-dose regimen did not prompt a strong immune response in blood tests among those ages 2 to less than 5 years old.
WHO’s Ryan Says Omicron Less Severe (8:30 a.m. NY)
There is “some evidence emerging” that the omicron variant “doesn’t appear to cause as severe disease,” WHO emergencies program head Michael Ryan told RTE Radio. Still, if the virus is left to run unchecked it will cause “many, many cases of very sick people and our hospitals will fill up,” he added. “We’re not even close to the end of this pandemic,” he said.
Omicron May Get Around Previous Infection (8:22 a.m. NY)
A previous Covid-19 recovery provides little shield against infection with the omicron variant, a research team from Imperial College London showed in a large study that underlines the importance of booster shots.
Glaxo Gets Green Light from Europe Regulator (8 a.m. NY)
Europe’s drug regulator authorized a Covid-19 antibody drug from GlaxoSmithKline Plc a week after the company indicated the treatment looks set to stand up well against the omicron variant.
The European Medicines Agency gave the green light for the drug xevudy for patients 12-years-old and up and at risk of severe disease, the company in a statement Friday.
German Minister Calls for New Measures (6:45 a.m. NY)
Germany is facing a “massive challenge” from the omicron variant, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warned, saying the country must adopt new measures to slow the spread in time for vulnerable people to receive booster shots.
“We are at a key point of the pandemic,” Lauterbach said on Friday at a news conference.
A panel of health experts is meeting later Friday to advise on what measures are needed, Lauterbach said.
Sinopharm, J&J, Sputnik Shots Weaken: Study (6:21 a.m. NY)
Covid-19 shots made by China’s state-owned Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson, as well as the Sputnik vaccine developed by Russia, were found to produce little or no antibodies against omicron in a study, as evidence of the new variant’s vaccine-evading abilities mount.
Researchers at the University of Washington and Swiss drugmaker Humabs Biomed SA analyzed the efficacy of six vaccines against the highly-infectious and most-mutated Covid variant.
However, Sputnik V shows “high” virus neutralizing activity against the omicron variant of coronavirus and is expected to provide strong defense against severe disease and hospitalization, Russian Direct Investment Fund, which backs the developer, said in statement.
Austria to Suspend Lockdown for Unvaccinated (5:47 p.m. HK)
Austria will suspend a lockdown for the unvaccinated during year-end holidays, giving respite from one of the toughest coronavirus policies in Europe.
Unvaccinated people will be allowed to meet in groups of up to 10 on three days around Christmas, as well as New Year’s Eve, Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein told reporters Friday.
S. Africa Hospitalizations Plunge (2:45 p.m. HK)
South Africa’s hospital admission rate as a percentage of new Covid-19 cases identified dropped sharply in the second week of the current infection wave driven by the omicron variant, compared with the same week of the third wave.
Only 1.7% of identified Covid-19 infections in the second week of the fourth wave of infections were admitted to the hospital, compared with 19% in the same week of the third wave, which was driven by delta, South African Health Minister Joe Phaahla said.
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