Omicron delivers another uncertain holiday season to pandemic-weary Americans By Reuters

By Joseph Ax and Julia Harte

(Reuters) – People face an unsure and anxiety-filled vacation season for the second consecutive yr, because the extremely contagious Omicron variant threatens to accentuate an already alarming surge of COVID-19 circumstances.

Public well being officers have voiced deepening considerations in regards to the rising variety of infections, warning that hospitals – nonetheless combating the consequences of the Delta variant – may discover themselves stretched past their limits if the 2 variants mix to create a contemporary wave.

Whereas states haven’t sought to impose broad shutdowns, the illness’s advances have prompted a brand new spherical of restrictions, as workplaces have postponed return-to-office dates, universities have moved exams on-line and a few states and cities have reimposed masks mandates.

In New York Metropolis, a number of Broadway reveals, together with “Hamilton,” “Tina” and “Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical” canceled performances, citing breakthrough COVID infections amongst their forged or crew. In Puerto Rico, the finale of the Miss World magnificence pageant was known as off on Thursday after a number of contestants examined constructive.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the highest U.S. infectious illness knowledgeable, mentioned on Thursday that the Omicron variant would quickly dominate infections.

“We have seen that in South Africa, we’re seeing it within the UK, and I am completely sure that is what we’ll be seeing right here comparatively quickly,” mentioned Fauci, who met with President Joe Biden on Thursday afternoon to debate the federal government’s response.

In South Africa, the UK and Denmark, the variety of new Omicron infections has been doubling each two days.

Preliminary knowledge suggests Omicron could also be extra contagious than Delta however much less more likely to trigger extreme sickness, although a lot stays unknown. Analysis additionally signifies that the two-dose vaccine regimens have vastly diminished safety towards Omicron however {that a} third booster dose restores a lot of the vaccine’s efficacy.

Consultants have warned that Omicron may nonetheless have lethal penalties resulting from its transmissibility.

“When you could have a illness that’s extremely infectious – even when it causes milder illness – you possibly can nonetheless have many, many deaths, Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious illness knowledgeable, mentioned throughout a panel dialogue at New York College on Thursday.

Maine set a document for the variety of hospitalized COVID sufferers on Wednesday, a day after Michigan hit a brand new excessive. New Jersey recorded its highest variety of circumstances on Thursday since mid-January, on the peak of final winter’s surge.

Over the previous month, new circumstances have risen practically 40% to a seven-day common of 121,000 new infections per day, in keeping with a Reuters tally.

Deaths have risen 18% since mid-November to a mean of 1,300 lives misplaced a day. COVID hospitalizations have risen about 45% over the past month.

In New York Metropolis, the share of individuals testing constructive for COVID-19 doubled in three days, in keeping with Dr. Jay Varma, a senior public well being adviser to Mayor Invoice de Blasio.

“We have by no means seen this earlier than in #NYC,” he wrote on Twitter (NYSE:), including that the one clarification is Omicron’s potential to evade each pure and vaccine-induced immunity.

De Blasio introduced the town would ramp up capability at testing websites, which have seen lengthy strains in latest days, and distribute 500,000 fast at-home check kits by way of group organizations.

“This variant strikes quick,” he mentioned. “We have to transfer quicker.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul mentioned the state would enable residents to request check kits be mailed to their houses, becoming a member of a number of different U.S. states.

U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned on Thursday it’s previous time for individuals to get booster pictures and urged them to take action as shortly as doable.

“We’re taking a look at a winter of extreme sickness and loss of life” for the unvaccinated, Biden mentioned.

HOLIDAY TRAVEL CONCERNS

The surge has prompted apprehensive People to rethink vacation journey plans. Consultants have mentioned vaccinated people can journey safely https://www.reuters.com/world/us/is-it-safe-americans-travel-holidays-2021-12-16 so long as they put on masks and keep away from pointless dangers equivalent to giant crowds and indoor gatherings.

After months of planning a visit to Florida to see his dad and mom for Christmas and his mom’s birthday, Kalaya’an Mendoza of Queens, New York, advised Reuters he was compelled to cancel when he discovered that a number of individuals at an occasion he attended on Monday had examined constructive.

“I am just a little bit wrecked,” Mendoza, 43, mentioned on Thursday. “It looks like 2020 yet again. I needed to weigh my very intense Filipino should be with household with their care and security.”

Mendoza, who has not seen his dad and mom since December 2019, mentioned he was indignant at how little progress the U.S. authorities had made on combating the pandemic whereas spending billions of {dollars} this yr on different gadgets, such because the army.

“I bear in mind watching my neighbors get carted away in physique luggage firstly of this pandemic, and two years in, we should not be right here,” he mentioned.