COVID-19 updates: Elizabeth Warren tests positive

The senator says she's experiencing "mild symptoms."

As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.3 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 806,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.4% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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Israel health officials recommend putting US on no-fly list

Starting Dec. 22, the U.S. could be on Israel's no-fly list due to high COVID infection rates. All travel from Israel to the U.S. will be banned, the Israeli government announced Sunday.

The Ministry of Health has recommended that the U.S., and nine other countries including Canada, be classified as "red list" countries. The decision now awaits final approval from the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

Israeli citizens coming to Israel from the U.S. will have to go into full isolation, including those vaccinated or recovered. Non-Israeli citizens coming from the U.S. will not be allowed to enter Israel, officials said.

At the start of the weekly cabinet, Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the fact the country is in a "relatively good situation" is "not a coincidence." He attributed delaying the entry of the variant to Israel to travel bans. "What a pity that other countries did not do as we did," he said Sunday.

In addition to the U.S., Israel also will also move Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey to the no-fly list this week on Dec. 22. Norway, France, Spain, Sweden and the UAE will be added to Israel's no-fly list at midnight Dec. 20.

There are 52 countries on Israel's red list.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou


UK reports 48.59% single-day increase in confirmed omicron cases

The U.K. reported a 48.59 percent single-day increase in confirmed omicron cases Sunday.

And across the U.K. in the last seven days, there's been a 51.9 percent increase in new COVID cases. Hospitalizations are up 8.1 percent during that period. However, there's been a 6.5 percent decrease in new deaths compared to the preceding seven days.

On Sunday, the British government reported 82,886 new COVID cases and 45 new deaths. The government also confirmed 12,133 new cases of the omicron variant.

London's mayor declared a major incident in the capital Sunday because of the serious threat of omicron. In an interview with the BBC on Sunday, he said that in the last 24 hours, "we're at almost 30,000 confirmed new cases, and in the last seven days almost 130,000 confirmed new cases."

He said he's worried about the impact the increases are already having on frontline emergency services in London, adding there are a record number of absences that will hamper their ability to respond to people who are unwell.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou


No live audience, limited cast and crew for tonight's 'SNL' 

"Saturday Night Live" won't have an audience and will limit its cast and crew at tonight's taping "out of an abundance of caution," the show announced, as New York sees a spike in COVID-19 cases.

"Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight’s taping of 'Saturday Night Live' and the show will have limited cast and crew," tweeted the show, which films at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan.

"The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol," it added.

Charli XCX was slated to be the musical guest but is no longer performing due to the limited crew, the singer announced on Twitter, saying she was "devastated and heartbroken."

Paul Rudd is the host of the episode, which is the last one of 2021.

The move comes as New York state broke its record for daily COVID-19 cases two days in a row. Several shows in New York City, from Broadway productions to the Rockettes, also have had to cancel performances due to COVID-19 cases.

-ABC News' Joshua Hoyos


Harvard moving to remote learning in January

Harvard University is shifting to remote learning for the first three weeks of January due to a "rapid" rise in COVID-19 cases locally, school officials announced Saturday.

"Please know that we do not take this step lightly," school leaders said in an update to students. "It is prompted by the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases locally and across the country, as well as the growing presence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant."

Only students with previous authorization will be allowed to remain on campus. Some programs, like essential in-person laboratory and patient-centered work, will continue as normal, the school said.

"We are planning a return to more robust on-campus activities later in January, public health conditions permitting," the school officials said.

Several universities, including Princeton, NYU and Cornell, have shifted final exams remote and canceled events in recent days due to spikes in COVID-19 cases.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos


Journalist traveling with Blinken tests positive for COVID-19 in Malaysia

A journalist traveling alongside U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his visit to Southeast Asia has tested positive for COVID-19 in Malaysia, according to U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price.

Meanwhile, Blinken and his senior staff all tested negative for COVID-19 upon arrival in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday night. The member of the traveling press pool who tested positive had last tested negative in Indonesia's capital, their previous stop, on Tuesday.

"The individual who tested positive will remain in isolation," Price said in a statement Wednesday, "and we will continue to adhere to and go beyond CDC guidance, including with our rigorous testing protocol, for the remaining traveling party."

Blinken has canceled a scheduled trip to Thailand "out of an abundance of caution" and will return home to the United States, according to Price.

"The Secretary expressed his deep regret to the Foreign Minister that he would not be able to visit Bangkok this week," Price said. "He explained that, in order to mitigate the risk of the spread of COVID-19 and to prioritize the health and safety of the U.S. traveling party and those they would otherwise come into contact with, the Secretary would be returning to Washington, D.C. out of an abundance of caution."

"The Secretary extended an invitation for the Foreign Minister to visit Washington, D.C. at the earliest opportunity and noted that he looked forward to traveling to Thailand as soon as possible," Price added. "They affirmed that they would use the upcoming engagements to further deepen the U.S.-Thai alliance."

The U.S. Embassy in Malaysia confirmed that the infected individual "was not involved and has not participated in any of Secretary Blinken's program in Kuala Lumpur."

"The sole member of the traveling party who tested positive is observing all requirements of the Ministry of Health," the embassy said in a statement Wednesday. "We confirm all other members of the party tested negative for COVID-19 upon arrival in Malaysia."

Blinken was in Indonesia on Tuesday, and the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta confirmed that no members of the traveling party tested positive for COVID-19.

All members of the U.S. delegation are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and undergo regular testing on trips.

-ABC News' Conor Finnegan