Biden pledges 500M free at-home COVID-19 tests, more hospital aid to fight omicron
President Joe Biden pledged 500 million free at-home COVID-19 tests that Americans can have shipped to them as the world races the omicron variant.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan tests positive for COVID-19
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says he has tested positive for COVID-19.
DC reinstates indoor mask mandate, declares State of Emergency as COVID-19 omicron variant surges
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has reinstated the city’s mask mandate and has expanded the District’s vaccine requirements as part of a State of Emergency she declared Monday as COVID-19 cases surge nationwide due to the highly contagious omicron variant.
CDC data: Omicron now dominant COVID-19 variant in US
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.
First Omicron-related death in Harris County reported, says Judge Hidalgo
The first Omicron-related death in Harris County has been reported, according to County Judge Lina Hidalgo. The victim was an unvaccinated man in his 50s.
Israel to ban travel to US, Canada due to omicron variant concerns
Israel will ban travel to the United States, Canada and eight other countries amid the rapid, global spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Moderna: COVID booster effective against omicron in tests, will still develop new shot
Moderna said its COVID-19 booster shot appears to provide protection against the omicron variant but it will continue developing a tweaked jab.
Royal Caribbean ship docked at Miami port has at least 48 cases of COVID-19, company says
Royal Caribbean officials say “98% of those that tested positive were fully vaccinated,” and were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.
NHL halts cross-border games through Dec. 23; mulls Olympic participation
The NHL is postponing 12 games between U.S.-based teams and Canadian squads through Dec. 23. And officials are mulling participation in the Beijing Olympics.
NBA postpones 5 more games as COVID-19 pummels sports world
The NBA has called off five games for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday because of coronavirus-related concerns.
Omicron infections 'just raging around the world,' Fauci says
The prospect of a winter chilled by a wave of infections is a severe reversal from the optimism projected by Biden months ago when he suggested the country would be back to normal by Christmas.
Omicron variant may hinder 2 leading drugs against COVID-19
The rapidly-spreading omicron variant may soon leave U.S. doctors without two of the standard treatments they’ve used to fight COVID-19.
Omicron forces wave of closures nationwide as Biden warns winter of 'death' encroaching
As the omicron variant of the coronavirus is poised to become the new leading variant in the United States, many schools and businesses are closing their doors over what President Biden is predicting to be a winter of "severe illness and death."
Netherlands lockdown: Omicron spread prompts closures for nearly 1 month
The Netherlands lockdown began Sunday, with all non-essential stores, bars and restaurants closing until Jan. 14.
Omicron variant detected in 89 countries; WHO says cases rapidly doubling
WHO said on Saturday that omicron’s “substantial growth advantage” over the delta variant means it's likely to soon overtake delta as the dominant variant.
NY single-day record for COVID cases
21,027 New Yorkers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the highest number since January 14.
France: 5th wave is here, New Year's concerts and fireworks banned
“The fifth wave is here and it is here in full force,” Prime Minister Jean Castex told a news conference, adding that the fast-spreading omicron variant is expected to dominate infections in France at the start of January.
Study: Omicron variant is 'markedly resistant' to vaccine, booster shot
According to the study, existing antibody therapies like monoclonal antibody cocktails are largely ineffective against omicron, along with natural antibodies from previous infections.
UT researchers predict winter COVID-19 surge if behaviors aren’t changed
If behaviors aren't changed, researchers predict the emergence of the omicron variant could lead to the largest healthcare surge to date.
Princeton moves exams online as colleges go back to drawing board to fight COVID
Colleges across the U.S. are starting to require booster shots, extend mask mandates and in some cases revert to online classes as they brace for the new omicron variant.