An estimated 126,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Of those patients, about one-sixth -- or 21,000 -- are in intensive care units.

The spread of the omicron variant is pushing the U.S. closer to the hospitalization record set last winter when 140,000 patients with the virus were hospitalized .

Meanwhile, the country is averaging 554,000 new COVID-19 cases every day, a five-fold increase from a month ago, federal data shows.

Over the last week, the U.S. has reported about 3.88 million COVID-19 infections, which averages out to about six Americans testing positive every second.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos

More than 800 staff members at fire and police departments in Los Angeles have tested positive for COVID-19, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday.

Currently, 505 police officers and 299 firefighters are quarantining after receiving positive results.

"These are big numbers. Numbers that are reflecting the staffing challenges that all of us face," Garcetti said during a press conference outside a fire station.

He added that five out of six employees in both departments are fully vaccinated, complying with the vaccine mandate set in place for city employees.

Garcetti said that despite the number of officers and firefighters absent from work, the city is still protected.

“Both LAPD and LAFD have maintained staffing levels that are needed to keep Angelenos safe, and we have maintained staffing levels to make sure you, your family, our communities are safe," he said.

Global cases of COVID-19 "increased sharply," the World Health Organization wrote in its weekly epidemiological update published Thursday.

Cases of the virus increased 71% during the week ending Jan. 2 compared to the previous week, meaning there were 9.5 million new infections of COVID-19 reported around the world, according to the WHO.

The Americas saw the largest increase at 100% followed by Southeast Asia at 78% and Europe at 63%.

The United States saw the most COVID-19 cases last week followed by the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy.

The WHO added that there was a 10% decrease in the number of new deaths compared to the week prior with more than 41,000 virus-related fatalities recorded.

An estimated 1.3 million people in the United Kingdom are suffering from long COVID, according to new data published Thursday by the UK's Office for National Statistics.

Long COVID is a condition in which patients who recover from the virus still experience symptoms for weeks -- or even months or years -- later.

The ONS said the figure, which is based on self-reported symptoms, equates to 2% of the population living with long COVID.

Fatigue was the most common symptom, reported by 51% of those surveyed. Other common symptoms included loss of smell (37%), shortness of breath (36%) and difficulty concentrating (28%).

About 64% said their long COVID symptoms made it difficult for them to carry out day-to-day activities.

Long COVID was most commonly reported in those between ages 35 and 69, females, people living in poorer areas or those working in health care or education, according to the ONS.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams insisted that schools will stay open for in-person leaning despite the rapidly rising number of COVID cases.

“We’re really excited about the opening of our schools,” he said during a speech outside Concourse Village Elementary School in the Bronx on Monday. “We want to be extremely clear: the safest place for our children is a school building.”

As part of a plan to curb rates of infection, 1.5 million rapid at-home test kits are being being distributed to schools.

Students and adults who exhibit symptoms or have been exposed to a positive case will be required to have two negative tests over the course of five days before they can return to classes.

On Sunday, Adams told ABC's "This Week" that parents should "fear not sending [kids] back" to school after the winter break.

Meanwhile, several other school districts across the country, including Atlanta, Cleveland, Newark and Milwaukee, have opted for virtual learning for at least the first week of the new semester.