COVID-19 updates: New Zealand imposes restrictions amid omicron outbreak
The country's PM also postponed her wedding due to the rise in cases.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.5 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 865,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 63.3% 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:
In 1 month US records more than one-quarter of its total cases for the pandemic
The U.S. is now reporting an average of about 745,000 new cases per day, down by about 5% in the last week, according to federal data. It is still unclear whether the nation is experiencing a true plateau or whether data is skewed from the holiday weekend.
In the last month alone, the U.S. recorded 18.2 million new cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data -- more than one-quarter of the nation's total number of confirmed cases reported since the onset of the pandemic.
There's growing evidence to suggest the latest omicron surge continues to recede in the parts of the country first struck by the variant.
In New York, daily cases have dropped by nearly 38% in the last week, and in New Jersey, new cases are down by 45.8%, according to federal data.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Non-citizens entering US via land border, ferry terminals must be fully vaccinated
Beginning Saturday, the Department of Homeland Security is requiring non-U.S. citizens entering the U.S. via land or ferry to be fully vaccinated.
This rule, outlined in October, applies to people arriving from Mexico's and Canada's borders.
This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens traveling over the border.
-ABC News' Luke Barr
Breakthrough cases grew fourfold during omicron emergence: CDC
Despite waning immunity over time, vaccines still dramatically reduced the risk of severe illness caused by COVID-19 through at least the end of the delta wave, according to data updated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday evening.
In November, unvaccinated adults had a four times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19, and a 15 times greater risk of dying from COVID-19, compared to vaccinated individuals, according to federal data pulled from 28 states and jurisdictions.
Additionally, unvaccinated adults had a 13 times greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 and a 68 times greater risk of dying from it as compared to fully vaccinated individuals with a booster.
The emergence of omicron does appear to have increased the occurrence of breakthrough cases. Between late November and late-December, the rate of infections among the fully vaccinated increased more than fourfold. Even so, unvaccinated Americans remained twice as likely to test positive for the virus.
Similarly, the rate of infections among the fully vaccinated and boosted Americans testing positive increased by nearly tenfold. However, unvaccinated Americans remained 3.8 times as likely to test positive for the virus.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
Wastewater data finds omicron may have been in US as early as Nov. 21
A new CDC study finds that the omicron variant was likely in the U.S. more than a week before the first case was detected.
The first official case was detected on Dec. 1 in California. But a review of the national wastewater surveillance system indicates that the variant could have been present as early as Nov. 21, according to samples collected in New York City.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos, Sony Salzman
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff tests positive
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, according to a statement from Joint Staff spokesman Col. Dave Butler.
Milley has "very minor" symptoms and is working remotely, the statement said.
Milley was last in contact with President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
"He tested negative several days prior to and every day following contact with the President until yesterday," the statement said.
All other Joint Chiefs of Staff tested negative except for Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger, a spokesperson said.
-ABC News' Matthew Seyler