COVID-19 updates: Classes in Chicago canceled for 4th day
Chicago Public Schools has been in talks with teachers over COVID-19 safety.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 837,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62.5% 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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Omicron variant makes up 95% of COVID cases in US
The omicron variant accounts for 95% of all new COVID-19 cases in the U.S., according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday.
In early December, the highly transmissible variant made up 0.6% of new infections.
Meanwhile, the delta variant -- responsible for the summer surge -- makes up 4.6% of new cases, the CDC said.
The data also showed the omicron variant is dominant in all regions of the country. In the New York-New Jersey region and in the Southeast, the variant is linked to 98% of new infections.
-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos
UK records more than 200,000 COVID cases
The United Kingdom recorded more than 200,000 cases of COVID-19, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
The 218,724 new infections is the highest figure ever reported in a single day and an increase of nearly 60% from the number of cases reported on the same day last week.
However, there has been a backlog of data due to the holiday weekend so the number includes four days of data from Northern Ireland and two days of data from Wales, the UKHSA said.
-ABC News' Mike Trew
Sen. Rob Portman tests positive for COVID
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, tested positive for COVID-19 last night, according to a press release.
Portman took an at-home COVID test which came back positive. The senator said he is asymptomatic and feels fine.
"I have been in contact with the Attending Physician and my personal doctor. I am following their medical advice and following CDC guidelines and isolating for the recommended five days," Portman said in the statement.
He will be working remotely this week, but will not be able to be in Washington, D.C., for votes.
Sweden's King and Queen test positive for COVID-19
Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia tested positive for COVID-19 last night, according to a palace statement.
Both are fully vaccinated and have received a third booster shot.
The king and queen said they have mild symptoms and are feeling well, in the statement.
They are isolating at home and contact tracing is ongoing.
NY COVID hospitalizations surpass 10,000 for 1st time in 20 months
COVID-19-related hospitalizations in New York surpassed 10,000 for the first time since the early days of the pandemic.
As of Tuesday, there are 10,411 people hospitalized statewide with the virus, which is the highest figure seen since May 2020.
About 1,300 patients are currently in intensive care units.
Unvaccinated New Yorkers are more likely to be hospitalized than those who are fully vaccinated. During the week ending Dec. 20, unvaccinated people were hospitalized at a rate of 30.01 per 100,000 compared to a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated people, according to state data.