COVID-19 live updates: New York sees fourfold increase in pediatric hospitalizations
The shift reflects the spread of the omicron variant.
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:
- New record case high on Christmas Eve in New York
- 'Everybody' in Australia will get omicron, health minister says
- American, Delta, JetBlue, United report impacts from omicron
- Cases soar in Florida
- CDC issues contingency plan for to prevent shortage of health care workers in event of major omicron surge
- New York sees record-smashing 44,431 cases in 1 day
- White House to lift travel restrictions on southern African countries
Cases in Louisiana double in 1 week
The Louisiana Department of Health said in a news release Sunday night that hospitalizations have doubled in the past week, hitting a figure not seen since the tail end of the state’s last surge in the fall.
“The last time we reported this many COVID-19 hospitalizations was mid-October, as we came down from our third and then-worst COVID-19 surge,” the release said.
According to the health department, 80% of the 449 people currently hospitalized are not fully vaccinated.
New record case high on Christmas Eve in New York
New York state recorded 49,708 new COVID-19 cases on Christmas Eve, according to data released by the state, topping the record set one day earlier with 44,431 cases.
This comes as New Yorkers sought testing in record numbers ahead of the holidays.
On Christmas Day, New York recorded 36,454 new cases, according to state data.
Long Island is the region with the highest percent positivity, standing at 14.79% (according to the seven-day average).
UVA pulls out of Wasabi Fenway Bowl
The University of Virginia is pulling out of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Boston's Fenway Park due to "the number of COVID cases impacting its roster," the Wasabi Fenway Bowl said.
The game was set to take place on Wednesday between UVA and Southern Methodist University. Tickets will be refunded.
Israeli prime minister goes into quarantine after daughter tests positive
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is isolating at home after his daughter tested positive for COVID-19, his office said.
Bennett tested negative via an antigen test Sunday morning as he headed into his cabinet meeting, his office said. When he learned about his daughter, Bennett left the meeting.
Bennett will take a PCR test and stay isolated at home, away from his daughter, until he gets his results, his office said.
Bennett, 49, and his wife have four children.
New York sees record-smashing 44,431 cases in 1 day
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
