Airlines for America (A4A), the group that lobbies on behalf of all major U.S. airlines, sent a letter to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky Thursday urging her to reconsider the 10-day quarantine policy for fully vaccinated passengers who have breakthrough cases.

Nick Calio, A4A's CEO, said the omicron surge "may exacerbate personnel shortages and create significant disruptions to our workforce and operations."

He echoed calls from Jet Blue and Delta Airlines to shorten the isolation period to five days.

"In turn, those individuals would be able to end isolation with an appropriate testing protocol," Calio wrote.

-ABC News' Amanda Maile

Italian officials said they will shut down nightclubs for over a month and mandate masks outdoors as the country continues to see a surge in new COVID-19 cases.

The country recorded 44,595 new COVID-19 cases, the highes one-day total since the pandemic began. The previous record was 40,902 on Nov. 13, 2020.

Italian officials said the mask mandate and nightclub shutdown will last until Jan. 31, 2022.

-ABC News' Ibtissem Guenfound

France recorded 91,608 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, according to the country's national public health agency, Santé Publique France.

This is a new single-day record for new confirmed cases in the country.

Over 6.2 million PCR and antigen tests registered in France between Dec. 13 and Dec. 19, which is also a record, according to health officials.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged residents to get tested before Christmas.

-ABC News' Ibtissem Guenfound

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that this year's New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square will be scaled back due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.

The city will only allow 15,000 spectators, a far cry from the 58,000 crowd that usually attends.

Viewing areas near the big ball drop will have smaller crowds, and attendees must adhere to strict requirements including proof of full vaccination and a mask mandate.

"There is a lot to celebrate and these additional safety measures will keep the fully vaccinated crowd safe and healthy as we ring in the new year," the mayor said in a statement.

Six hospitals in Ohio have taken out a full-page ad in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer in a desperate plea for people to get vaccinated as the state faces a renewed surge.

The ad, which appeared in Sunday's paper, says in big letters: "Help."

"We need your help. We now have more COVID-19 patients in our hospitals than ever before," the ad says. "And the overwhelming majority are unvaccinated. This is preventable."

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that he would deploy the state's National Guard to help with hospital strain. Ohio is now averaging more than 9,100 new cases every day -- up 67.5% in the last month. Statewide, more than 5,200 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.

"The best way to avoid serious illness is the vaccine," the ad said. "So, get vaccinated and get your booster ... we need you to care as much as we do."

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos