Omicron estimated to comprise 95% of new cases

Plus: China locks down city ahead of Olympics

The United States saw a record 1.08 million new Covid-19 cases reported yesterday. Granted, that’s likely a statistical anomaly due to some delays in reporting due to the holidays, but right now the country is still averaging close to 500,000 new cases every day. This growth in the number of cases is being caused by a number of factors, including holiday travel, the 34% of the eligible population that remains unvaccinated and the spread of the omicron variant, which the CDC estimates may account for as much as 95% of new infections. New cases have increased over 239% in the past two weeks, and hospitalizations are continuing to climb. Children are also being impacted by the surge of new cases - there was a 64% increase in cases among children under 18, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and an average of 672 children were admitted to hospitals every day last week, the highest such number recorded since the pandemic began. 

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More Covid News

Several states have begun rolling out federally funded relief mortgage programs for homeowners experiencing financial hardships as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A federal judge in Texas ruled in favor of 35 U.S. Navy SEALs who sued the Biden Administration over the military’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate.

Covid-19 vaccines do not increase the risk of preterm births or low birthweights for pregnant women, according to a large-scale study published by the CDC. 

Lotteries that gave people the opportunity to win cash in exchange for getting a Covid-19 shot were not effective at boosting vaccination rates across the U.S., according to new research. 

Israel reported a rare case of simultaneous infection with Covid-19 and flu, raising concerns that seasonal flu outbreaks could leave large swathes of the public vulnerable to severe Covid infections.

What Else We Are Reading

• How East London’s oldest halal restaurant survived the pandemic (Religion News)

• Navy ship hit with outbreak returns to sea with coronavirus-positive sailors isolated on board (The Washington Post)

• Here’s more evidence that vaccines help against Omicron (Popular Science)