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

New York City has seen a fourfold increase in pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations since early December, according to the New York State Health Department.

The uptick reflects a shift amid the rapid spread of the omicron variant, with the burden of the virus now being borne by young, unvaccinated children.

The increase was observed in children 18 and under beginning the week of Dec. 5 through the current week. During that time, none of the 5- to 11-year-olds admitted to city hospitals with COVID-19 were fully vaccinated, the department said. About one-third of 12- to 17-year-olds admitted due to COVID-19 were fully vaccinated.

"The risks of COVID-19 for children are real,” acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said in a statement. "We are alerting New Yorkers to this recent striking increase in pediatric COVID-19 admissions so that pediatricians, parents and guardians can take urgent action to protect our youngest New Yorkers."

About 27% of 5- to 11-year-olds and nearly 72% of 12- to 17-year-olds in New York state have received at least one vaccine dose, state data shows.

-ABC News' Sony Salzman and Aaron Katersky

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff tested negative via antigen tests Friday morning after Harris' close contact with a staffer who tested positive Wednesday, according to a White House official.

Harris also tested negative on a PCR test, White House officials said Friday afternoon.

The staffer was with Harris throughout the day on Tuesday, Harris' spokeswoman, Symone Sanders, said in a Wednesday statement.

The staffer tested negative on Monday, Tuesday and "every day last week," and then tested positive on Wednesday morning, according to Sanders.

Harris tested negative on Wednesday and will be tested again on Monday, Sanders said.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson

Los Angeles started the week with a 2% positivity rate and is ending the week nearing a 10% positivity rate.

The city reported 9,988 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. On Monday, there were just 3,258 cases.

New York state has set yet another daily case record with 44,431 new positive COVID-19 cases, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday. This comes as New Yorkers seek testing in record numbers ahead of the holidays.

This breaks Thursday's record high of 38,835 cases.

Friday's case count is double the positive case count from last Friday (21,908). But testing has increased in the last week, jumping from 290,000 to 360,000.

For comparison, three months ago, New York saw just 5,288 people test positive for COVID-19 statewide.

The governor on Friday also announced new return-to-work guidelines for critical workers who test positive. If a critical worker has tested positive but is vaccinated, they can return to work after five days if they are asymptomatic or no longer have symptoms. 

In New York state 95% of adults have had at least one vaccine dose, Hochul said, but she stressed that one dose isn't enough.

-ABC News' Josh Hoyos, Alexandra Faul, Will McDuffie