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 22, 2021, 4:40 PM EST

US will have 265K doses of Pfizer pill in January: White House

Ten million treatment courses of Pfizer's newly FDA-authorized COVID-19 pill have been purchased by the federal government, the White House announced.

The White House said 265,000 doses will be available in January and all 10 million will be delivered by late summer.

The White House said it also bought 3 million courses of Merck's treatment, though that pill is not yet authorized.

-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett

Dec 22, 2021, 3:47 PM EST

Fauci says he'd ask unvaccinated relatives not to attend holiday gatherings

Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC that he'd ask unvaccinated relatives not to attend a family holiday gathering this year due to the omicron surge.

Passengers are seen at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Dec. 20, 2021.
Elijah Nouvelage/Reuters

"I think we're dealing with a serious enough situation right now that if there's an unvaccinated person I would say, 'I'm very sorry, but not this time. Maybe another time when this is all over,'" Fauci told MSNBC Tuesday night.

"It's a problem when you're dealing with [a variant] that's spread so rapidly and you are unvaccinated. The virus is going to find you," he said.

Ahead of the holidays, the best way to protect yourself and those around you is still to get vaccinated and boosted, Fauci said. Testing provides another layer of protection, though Fauci acknowledged that if people cannot get ahold of a test, given the increase in demand, they may need to make tough decisions, depending on their individual risk.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos, Josh Hoyos

Dec 22, 2021, 3:36 PM EST

California requiring booster for health care workers

California is requiring health care workers to get the booster shot by Feb. 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.

As of Wednesday, California has a 3.3% positivity rate, the lowest in the country, Newsom said. Newsom, however, warned that cases have nearly doubled in one week.

The governor also announced that the state bought 6 million rapid tests to be distributed to school children, so each student has about one or two tests. Students can test at home before returning to classrooms after the holidays, he said.

California is also working on expanding hours at test sites to provide more access, he said.

-ABC News' Nicholas Kerr

Dec 22, 2021, 2:33 PM EST

Testing soon available at some NYC subway stops

For the first time, some New York City subway stations will offer walk-in PCR testing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.

A man walks past a PPE vending machine at a subway station in New York, Aug. 11, 2021.
Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images, FILE

The initiative begins Dec. 27 at the Times Square-42nd St subway station from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and at Grand Central Terminal from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Testing will be seven days a week but not available on New Year's Day.

Five other subway testing locations will open next week and will be announced when they're finalized, the governor said.

New York also offers vaccinations at some subway stations. Boosters are now available at Times Square-42nd St and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av/74 St. Grand Central Terminal will offer boosters beginning Dec. 27, according to the governor's office.