According to DailyMail.com’s analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University, 647,067 cases have been reported in the United States. This is 26 percent more than Thursday’s record.
USA Today reported that the United States had 2.49 Million cases in the last week. This is more than the previous record of 1.75 million.
USA Today reported November’s total of 2.55 Million new cases. USA Today also reports that the US averages 356,000 cases per daily and over four every second.
The number of daily deaths has halved, from 2,800 to 1400 on Wednesday and Thursday. It is clear that Omicron variant, which Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims accounts for between 40 and 70 percent of new US cases, are less severe and sufferers experience more mild symptoms.
Yet, every day is disrupted due to the holiday COVID spike. Over 1,300 U.S.-bound flights were cancelled by Thursday night. Business owners face shortages because of staff testing positive, while Americans still have to wait in long lines to be tested.
According to DailyMail.com, the US set a new world record in average daily COVID case reports with 512 533, which was reported by John Hopkins on Thursday.
This record surpasses Wednesday’s previous record by 489,267.
Americans still wait hours to get tested for COVID-19. Above is a COVID test site that a medical staff in Miami conducts on residents.
Also, the nation set a new record for daily average case numbers with 344,543. This is more than Wednesday’s average at 301.477. Rows of cars waited in line for testing in Houston, Texas.
American is currently experiencing an average of 300,387 Covid cases per hour, which is a record for a pandemic and the first time that the 300,000. mark in America has been achieved.
Although more than 500,000 Covid cases have been reported, it was because of the large backlog from the Christmas holiday. The largest percentage increase in Covid cases from a single day is Wednesday.
Americans continue to wait in long lines for COVID-19 testing, even though the Omicron variant is spreading across the country. Above: Health care workers carry out COVID test at a southeast Denver site
Because of an increase in home testing, some cases might not be included in the official count. What’s more worrisome about the high numbers is that health experts often expect disturbances in testing and data reporting, the news outlet reported.
According to the New York Times, approximately 62 per cent of Americans are fully vaccinated. 73 per cent have already received their first vaccine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 68.8 millions of those who have been fully vaccinated received their third dose or booster shot since August 13.
According to the CDC, 15 states had a record number of daily average infections. These include Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.
Because of the Omicron variant which is highly contagious, Omicron cases are increasing rapidly. The CDC believes that there are more than three Americans testing positive each second.
It is still early days, but we will see the pandemic rise, then fall back again. “We will also see COVID activity like never before since the outbreak of the pandemic,” Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota told CBS News.
The majority of major airlines are experiencing staff shortages and have had to cancel flights. Travelers wait in Miami International Airport for their flights.
According to FlightAware which monitors aviation data, more than 1,300 U.S. domestic and international flights had been cancelled by Thursday night. Above: Travelers wait at Miami International Airport to board their flight
Osterholm said, “We won’t live forever in continuous crisis. But for now, it’s going be a challenge.”
Meanwhile, the holiday season ‘flightmare’ continues as over 1,300 domestic and foreign U.S. flights were canceled by late Thursday, according FlightAware, which tracks aviation data. About half of the flights scheduled for Friday and Saturday have been canceled.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, increasing numbers of COVID-19-positive employees could put pressure on personnel in air traffic control.
“To maintain safety, traffic volume at some facilities could be reduced, which might result in delays during busy periods,” an FAA spokesman told the Wall Street Journal.
JetBlue Airways Corp., which represents 17 percent of the airline’s flights for Thursday, cancelled 177, United Airlines Holdings Inc., 203, and Delta Air Lines Inc. about 250 of their flights. This is a total of 6 percent. All airline company’s attribute both COVID-19 and harsh weather for the cancelations.
Residents of a Denver suburb sat in their cars to take part in a COVID test line. The COVID testing lines spanned about one mile before weaving through a lot. This was captured in video by Michele Fitzwilliam and sent to Fox News.
A JetBlue spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the company may have ‘additional cancels each day based on how sick calls are trending and general staffing challenges,’ adding ‘but we hope this proactive reduction will minimize same-day cancels and lessen the inconvenience to our customers.’
Southwest Airlines Co. only had 20 flight cancellations by Thursday night. A spokeswoman said while the Dallas-based company is seeing a rising number of positive COVID cases among staff, “we’ve yet to see any impact on our operation.”
American Airlines Group Inc. was only forced to cancel seven of its mainline flight on Thursday.
Residents all across the country still stand in long lines and sit in their cars for hours just to be able to take a COVID test. Patients are still waiting in line at pharmacies, urgent care centers, and any other locations offering COVID-19 test.
By 11am on Wednesday – just an hour after it opened – 600 cars were waiting in line for a state-sponsored site in the small eastern Missouri city of Winfield, which had previously only administered 50 tests a week before this recent surge.
According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch, officials and police closed down the site because of traffic congestion.
Lisa Cox from Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services told The Post-Dispatch she plans to open an additional site in St. Louis tomorrow, and three other sites next week in St. Louis. She also said that one to three new sites will be added to Kansas City.
Republican Governor. Mike Parson on Thursday announced he’s letting the pandemic-related state of emergency expire on Friday. In a statement, he said state government is ready to help but “there is no longer a need for a state of emergency.”
“Thanks to the effectiveness of the vaccine, widespread efforts to mitigate the virus, and our committed health care professionals, past needs to continue the state of emergency are no longer present,” Parson said.
The state’s COVID-19 dashboard on Thursday reported 2,265 people hospitalized with the virus, the highest number since August. The state’s health experts say that this surge in cases is not over.
“We anticipate things will get worse before they get better,” said Dr. Hilary Babcock, a Washington University infectious disease specialist at BJC HealthCare. “The case numbers are really staggering, and are rising at a pace that we have never seen before.”
Two days prior to Christmas, CoxHealth in Springfield had received 66 COVID-19 patients. According to the Springfield News-Leader, 110 patients were admitted at the hospital a week later. An investigation by the hospital found that 94% were unvaccinated among those who had been admitted to hospital earlier this week.
Kansas City’s region is also feeling the pinch. The Kansas City Star reports that there were 1,809 cases in the metropolitan area alone on Wednesday. This includes both Kansas City and the suburbs of Kansas City.
A COVID line was set up in Denver, Colorado by residents. It stretches for about a mile, before it weaves through parking lots.
FOX 31 Denver heard from a woman that she had to wait two hours to take a Monday test even though her arrival was before the site officially opened.
I arrived early. They opened at 9, and I showed up around like 8:40 … [the line] was like wrapped around, and I didn’t get in until 11,’ Crystal told the local news outlet.
America’s economy is at high risk from being crippled by the latest wave of infections. Companies have implemented their de facto lockdowns. Restaurants and bars across America, including Costco and Walmart, were forced to shut down as they struggle with staff shortages.
Apple, the tech company that dominates New York City’s retail sector has closed all of its New York City stores. Broadway also had to shut down certain shows temporarily, including Hugh Jackman’s The Music Man. Other Broadway productions, such as Waitress or The Rockettes, were completely shut down for the season.
Also, pro sports leagues were forced to postpone games. For example, the NHL has had to postpone 80 games across the border between the US and Canada since the start of the season.
The NBA delayed its 10th season game on Wednesday because of a break in the Miami Heat locker rooms. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggests had to postpone their Friday game against Golden State due to the lack of players.
America’s most respected infectious disease specialist, Dr Anthony Fauci has previously warned that the same thing happening in Britain with regard to Covid could happen in America weeks later. A record number of people across the Atlantic are being hospitalized for Covid. London is now a major global viral hotspot. Although some are concerned that the lockdown might return, Boris Johnson (Prime Minister) assured Britons on Thursday that they can enjoy their New Years vacation.
Denmark, France and Germany have all established lockdowns to combat Omicron surges.
In South Africa, the original site of Omicron-related outbreaks and where this variant was discovered, Omicron cases are on the decline. This suggests that the variant may be losing steam.