(Bloomberg) —
Coronavirus cases surged across the globe, darkening the holiday weekend. New York State reported a record number of new cases on Dec. 24, and China reported the highest number of local infections since January.
New daily omicron infections in the U.S. have surpassed those in the delta wave, CNN reported. U.S. airlines scrapped about 2,800 flights for the holiday weekend because of personnel shortages linked to a spike in cases.
Anthony Fauci said Americans should stay vigilant against the omicron variant despite evidence its symptoms may be less severe because the volume of cases can still overwhelm hospitals.
The coronavirus can spread within days from the airways to the heart, brain and almost every organ system in the body, where it may persist for months, a study found.
Key Developments:
- Virus Tracker: Cases pass 279 million; deaths top 5.39 million
- Vaccine Tracker: More than 8.95 billion shots given
- Coronavirus can persist for months after traversing entire body
- The quest for a disposable mask that won’t pollute
- All you need to know about rapid test kits
- What we know about omicron, the new virus variant: QuickTake
Density Limits Added to NSW Pubs, Restaurants (6:50 a.m. HK)
Victoria and New South Wales, Australia’s two most-populous states, recorded more than 8,300 combined new daily cases Monday.
In NSW, mandatory QR code check ins and density limits in hospitality venues including pubs and restaurants were reinstated from Monday, following the omicron-fueled surge in case numbers and hospitalizations. Everyone in the state “is probably going to get omicron at some stage,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Sunday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
New York State Sets New Record for Covid Cases (5:15 p.m. NY)
New cases of coronavirus in New York State surged to an all-time high Dec. 24 before retreating on Christmas Day.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s office reported 49,708 new Covid-19 cases as the Omicron variant extend its spread worldwide. The number of new cases in New York slowed to 36,454 Dec. 25, probably because of the holiday.
Colleges Cancel Fenway Bowl, Military Bowl (1:30 p.m. NY)
The University of Virginia and Boston College called off their post-season football plans due to coronavirus outbreaks, the Associated Press reported.
The game scheduled for Wednesday at Fenway Park was to pit the Cavaliers against SMU, while the Military Bowl scheduled for Monday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium between Boston and East Carolina was scuttled because of positive Covid tests at BC, AP said.
South Africa Covid Rates Climb (1:15 p.m. NY)
The number of people hospitalized for Covid in South Africa rose to 9,114 on Sunday, according to data from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. The daily positive rate also increased to 27.2% from 25.7% a day earlier.
The biggest share of new cases was recorded in coastal Western Cape province, at 28%, followed by KwaZulu Natal at 26%, both popular destinations for domestic tourists during the current summer holiday period.
Ontario Cases Hit Pandemic High (11:39 a.m. NY)
Ontario reported a pandemic-high of 10,412 new cases on Christmas, Health Minister Christine Elliott said in a tweet Dec. 26. The new figure marks the first time that Canada’s most populous province recorded more than 10,000 infections in one day. The count is probably an underestimate, public health officials warn, due to the increased demand for testing.
More Cases Detected in China After Large-Scale Tests (11:10 a.m. NY)
Xi’an reported 155 locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of locally transmitted confirmed cases to 485 in the latest resurgence since Dec. 9, Xinhua reported. Many infections previously not found in communities in the capital of northwest China’s Shaanxi Province were detected during three rounds of large-scale testing. Infections may further emerge in the coming days.
Fauci Warns Covid Complacency Will Fill Hospitals (10 a.m. NY)
Americans should stay vigilant against the omicron variant despite evidence its symptoms may be less severe because the volume of cases can still overwhelm hospitals, President Biden’s top medical adviser said Sunday.
“When you have such a high volume of new infections it might override a real diminution in severity,“ Anthony Fauci told ABC’s Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl on “This Week.”
Germany Hits Interim Vaccination Target (9:55 a.m. NY)
Germany has reached a target of administering 30 million Covid-19 vaccines between mid November and the end of the year as it tries to ward off the fast-spreading omicron strain, said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach.
“We’re now going into the second round,” Lauterbach, who wants 30 million booster shots to be given in January, told news agency DPA. “It’s our goal to continue the booster campaign over the next few weeks at such a high speed that we can significantly reduce the number of hospital admissions due to the omicron variant.”
Indonesia’s New Infections at 21-Month Low (6:22 a.m. NY)
Southeast Asia’s biggest economy added 92 new Covid cases Sunday, the fewest since March 23, 2020, taking the total to more than 4.26 million, according to the Health Ministry. As many as 110.6 million people, or 53% of the targeted population, have received two doses of vaccines.
The country has tightened its borders, especially land and sea, due to rise in positive rate triggered by the emergence of the omicron variant.
Pandemic Causes Sharp Rise in U.K. Poverty (6 a.m. NY)
Almost a million Britons were forced into poverty by the economic disruption caused by lockdowns, according to a report published in the Telegraph. The Legatum Institute said the figure was due to decline by three-quarters by the spring of 2022 but that further restrictions risked this recovery.
The Times reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is determined to keep schools open despite rising numbers of Covid cases. Johnson is under pressure from members of his own party, many of whom are opposed to additional measures.
Russia Sees Fewest Cases Since September (4:30 p.m. HK)
Russia registered 23,721 new cases in the past day, the lowest level since the end of September, according to data from the government’s National Virus Response Center. Daily deaths were at 968, the lowest since mid-October.
Russia’s daily Covid cases and deaths reached a record early in November, but have declined since then. The country found cases of the new omicron strain in December, but all of them were reported on flights from abroad and people were isolated, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, according to Interfax.
Coronavirus Can Persist for Months: Study (4:27 p.m. HK)
The coronavirus can spread within days from the airways to the heart, brain and almost every organ system in the body, where it may persist for months, a study found.
In what they describe as the most comprehensive analysis to date of the virus’s distribution and persistence in the body and brain, scientists at the U.S. National Institutes of Health said they found the pathogen is capable of replicating in human cells well beyond the respiratory tract.
The results, released online Saturday in a manuscript under review for publication in the journal Nature, point to delayed viral clearance as a potential contributor to the persistent symptoms wracking so-called long Covid sufferers. nited Airlines Holdings Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp., according to data tracker FlightAware.com. The U.S. cuts on Christmas Day alone totaled more than 900.
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