Dec 22 South Africa’s decline in new COVID-19 cases may indicate omicron peak has passed By Andrew Meldrum, Associated Press Although the early findings are not conclusive, especially because daily figures are prone to fluctuations, the signs that South Africa’s intense wave is weakening are notable. Continue reading
Dec 21 Watch 3:36 Biden vows to ramp up testing, boost other health systems in response to omicron wave By Yamiche Alcindor, Shoshana Dubnow President Joe Biden is out with new plans and new appeals to control the spread of COVID-19. He spelled them out Tuesday as the new omicron variant sweeps largely unchecked across the country. White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor reports. Continue watching
Dec 21 Watch 8:10 Dr. Walensky on the omicron variant, testing, vaccines and mask rules President Joe Biden is out with new plans and new appeals to control the spread of COVID-19. He spelled them out Tuesday as the new omicron variant sweeps largely unchecked across the country. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers… Continue watching
Dec 21 WATCH: Biden announces 500 million free tests, other changes to COVID-19 strategy By Josh Boak, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Colleen Long, Associated Press Biden is expected on Tuesday to detail major changes to his COVID-19 winter plan, his hand forced by the arrival of the fast-spreading variant, whose properties are yet not fully understood by scientists. Continue reading
Dec 20 WATCH: Dr. Fauci says world has been ‘shocked’ by omicron spread By Associated Press America's leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday the world had been "shocked" by the emergence of the omicron variant of the coronavirus as more countries are reporting surges in infections. Continue reading
Dec 20 Watch 10:19 Vaccines reduce hospitalizations, but slow testing and rapid omicron spread worry experts By Stephanie Sy, Claire Mufson The rapid and relentless spread of COVID-19 in the midst of a new variant of the coronavirus is leading to growing alarm just ahead of the holidays. Omicron infections are exploding amid a shortage of testing, and governments are imposing… Continue watching
Dec 20 Less than a month after discovery, Omicron now 73 percent of U.S. COVID-19 cases By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S. Federal health officials said Monday that omicron accounted for an estimated 73% of new infections last week. Continue reading
Dec 19 Omicron may sideline two leading drugs against COVID-19 By Matthew Perrone, Associated Press As strained U.S. hospitals brace for a new surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the fast-spreading omicron variant, doctors are warning of yet another challenge: the two standard drugs they’ve used to fight infections are unlikely to work against the… Continue reading
Dec 19 Restaurants anxious as omicron, high food costs take toll By Dee-Ann Durbin, Mae Anderson, Sylvia Hui, Associated Press Many businesses said hundreds of festive corporate lunch bookings vanished almost overnight as infections began to soar and Johnson announced tighter restrictions, including mandatory mask-wearing in most indoor spaces, though restaurants are open as usual. Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch 5:20 Why the U.S. is lagging behind in rapid COVID-19 testing By PBS NewsHour With the holidays approaching and the omicron variant surging in some parts of the U.S., demand for rapid and at-home COVID-19 tests is higher than ever, and the wait at large PCR test sites can be several hours in some… Continue watching