COVID updates: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tests positive

He said he has mild symptoms and will be quarantining for five days.

COVID updates: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin tests positive
Alex Brandon/AP
ByMary Kekatos, Ivan Pereira, Emily Shapiro, Kiara Alfonseca, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: January 3, 2022, 12:42 AM EST

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 825,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 62% 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 29, 2021, 12:40 PM EST

WHO concerned omicron, delta leading to 'tsunami' of cases

Omicron and delta are twin threats driving up cases to record numbers and leading to spikes in hospitalizations and deaths, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference Wednesday.

"I am highly concerned that omicron being more transmissible, circulating at the same time as delta, is leading to a tsunami of cases," Tedros said.

A nurse works at a Covid-19 intensive care unit of the Delafontaine AP-HP hospital in Saint-Denis, France, Dec. 29, 2021.
Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images

As the pandemic drags on, it's possible that new variants could become resistant to current vaccines, necessitating vaccine adaptations, he warned.

He added, "While 2021 has been hard, I ask everyone to make a New Year’s resolution to get behind the campaign to vaccinate 70% by the middle of 2022."

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou

Dec 29, 2021, 12:10 PM EST

US daily case average nearly triples in 1 month

More than 84,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 -- a 40,000 jump over the last seven weeks, according to federal data.

In the last month, federal data shows the nation's daily case average has nearly tripled.

A soaring demand for tests and a backlog of holiday reporting drove Monday's case total to 440,000 -- the nation's highest one-day total ever, according to federal data.

While this high reflects the latest omicron surge, it's also very likely skewed due to a backlog in reporting over the Christmas weekend and an increase in demand for tests.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Dec 29, 2021, 11:15 AM EST

Decision on boosters for kids 12-15 could be made in 'days to weeks ahead'

The FDA and CDC could decide on boosters for children ages 12 to 15 in "the days to weeks ahead," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told CNN's "New Day" Wednesday.

The CDC authorized the Pfizer vaccine for 12- to 15-year-olds on May 12, meaning some of those kids are now over six months past their second dose, which was when boosters were recommended for adults.

Walensky also noted that vaccine manufacturers are working to acquire data for children under the age of five, but an authorization "will not be in the month ahead."

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

Dec 29, 2021, 10:58 AM EST

Vaccine mandate for domestic air travel not being considered now: CDC

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told NPR that a vaccine mandate for domestic air travel is not currently under consideration.

Travelers pass through Salt Lake City International Airport, Dec. 27, 2021, in Salt Lake City.
Rick Bowmer/AP

"Domestic flights has been a topic of conversation, but that is not something we're revisiting right now," Walensky said Tuesday.

This comes after Dr. Anthony Fauci told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Monday that a vaccine requirement for domestic air travel should be "seriously" considered.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

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