Dec 18 Netherlands ‘going into lockdown again’ to curb omicron By Danica Kirka, Mike Corder, Associated Press Schools, universities, and all non-essential stores, bars and restaurants in the Netherlands will be closed until Jan. 14 starting Sunday, caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Saturday night. Continue reading
Dec 18 Europeans reimpose restrictions as omicron sweeps continent By Associated Press Nations across Europe are moving to reimpose tougher measures to stem a new wave of COVID-19 infections spurred by the highly transmissible omicron variant, triggering calls for protests from Paris to Barcelona. Continue reading
Dec 17 Watch 6:30 South Africa reels under omicron wave amid vaccine lag, pans ‘rushed’ travel ban By Michael Baleke As the omicron variant sends a fourth wave of patients to hospitals across South Africa, leaders across the continent are pointing fingers at wealthy nations. Those countries, they say, could have helped prevent the latest variant had vaccines been distributed… Continue watching
Dec 16 Watch 9:20 As the holiday season nears, concerns of a resurgent virus are growing By William Brangham, Amber Partida From Broadway to Britain, COVID-19 is spreading new fears, forcing new shutdowns and prompting people to wonder when it will all end. And experts warn omicron is likely to become the dominant strain in the U.S. William Brangham reports on… Continue watching
Dec 15 Watch 5:08 What we know about the severity of omicron and possibility of ‘triple whammy’ this winter By John Yang, Courtney Norris As the omicron variant is spreading rapidly, top federal health officials warn it could bring a massive wave of new infections to the United States as early as January. There are now confirmed cases of omicron in at least 36… Continue watching
Dec 15 U.S. faces double coronavirus surge as omicron variant spreads By Laura Ungar, Carla K. Johnson, Associated Press Omicron, even if it proves milder on the whole, may disarm some of the life-saving tools available and put immune-compromised and elderly people at particular risk as it begins a rapid assault on the United States. Continue reading
Dec 15 WATCH: White House COVID task force holds news briefing By Associated Press U.S. health care spending rocketed to $4.1 trillion last year as Congress opened the spigot of federal dollars to battle the coronavirus pandemic across multiple fronts. Continue reading
Dec 15 Omicron expected be dominant variant in EU by mid-January By Samuel Petrequin, Associated Press European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is well prepared to fight omicron with 66.6 percent of its population fully vaccinated. Continue reading
Dec 14 Data analysis shows omicron variant less severe, better at evading vaccines By Andrew Meldrum, Associated Press While the findings released Tuesday are preliminary and have not been peer-reviewed — the gold standard in scientific research — they line up with other early data about omicron's behavior, including that it seems to be more easily transmitted. Continue reading
Dec 13 California brings back mask mandate during holiday season as virus cases rise By Adam Beam, Associated Press California is bringing back a statewide indoor mask mandate. Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration announced the new mandate will start Wednesday and last until Jan. 15. Continue reading