COVID-19 live updates: City sees fourfold increase in pediatric hospitalizations

The shift reflects the spread of the omicron variant.

ByEmily Shapiro, Ivan Pereira, Meredith Deliso, and Mary Kekatos
Last Updated: December 27, 2021, 2:21 AM EST

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 816,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.7% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Dec 20, 2021, 7:43 PM EST

Biden tests negative after close contact with positive staff member

President Joe Biden was exposed to a staff member who recently tested positive for COVID-19, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Monday evening.

Biden was near the staff member for about 30 minutes on Air Force One on Friday, during a trip to Philadelphia from South Carolina, according to Psaki.

The staff member, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, tested negative Friday morning, but tested positive Monday, according to the White House.

President Joe Biden wears a Covid-19 protective mask while attending a meeting at the White House in Washington, Dec. 16, 2021.
Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE

The president received an antigen test Sunday and a PCR test Monday, and both came back negative, Psaki said in a statement. He will receive another test Wednesday, she said.

"As CDC guidance does not require fully vaccinated people to quarantine after an exposure, the president will continue with his daily schedule," Psaki said in a statement.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky

Dec 20, 2021, 6:51 PM EST

U.S. records what’s believed to be 1st known omicron related death

Health officials in Texas announced Monday that it recorded the first death related to the omicron COVID-19 variant.

This is believed to be the first known recorded omicron death in the U.S.

Harris County Health officials would only say the victim was "a man in his 50s," who was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions..

Public health officials do not think omicron is more virulent than previous variants, but they do say in general vaccination and a booster shot when eligible appears to lower your risk for severe illness.

Dec 20, 2021, 6:39 PM EST

More military teams to be deployed to hospitals

The military announced it is sending two teams to hospitals in Wisconsin and Indiana to assist with rising COVID-19 cases.

The 20-person teams include nurses, respiratory therapists, and medical doctors from the U.S. Navy.

They will be assisting Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis starting on Christmas Day and Bellin Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin starting on New Year's Eve, according to a U.S. Army North spokesperson.

Ten other military teams have been deployed to hospitals in five other states.

-ABC News' Matt Seyler

Dec 20, 2021, 4:16 PM EST

London cancels New Year's Eve celebration in Trafalgar Square

London has canceled its New Year's Eve celebration for 6,500 people in Trafalgar Square due to the omicron surge, Mayor Sadiq Khan said Monday.

“With infections of COVID-19 at record levels across our city and the U.K., I’m determined to work closely with partners in our city to do everything we possibly can to slow the spread of the new variant and ensure our NHS services are not overwhelmed this winter," Khan said in a statement.

Khan declared a major incident in London on Saturday due to a rise in cases and a 29% increase in hospital admissions in the last week.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou