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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US cases up 45% in the last month

The U.S. is now reporting nearly 118,000 new cases each day -- up by 45% in the last month, according to federal data.

Daily COVID-19-related hospital admissions have leapt by 46% in the last month.

Maine and New Hampshire are now averaging more new cases than at any other point in the pandemic, according to federal data.

New Hampshire currently holds the nation's highest case rate, followed by Rhode Island, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos


South Africa sees new record case high

South Africa, one of the first countries to detect omicron, reported a record high of 26,976 new cases on Wednesday.

Just 26.09% of South Africa's residents are fully vaccinated, according to Africa CDC.

-ABC News' Christine Theodorou


George Washington University cancels events, moves exams online

George Washington University is joining Princeton, Cornell and NYU by canceling all events and moving exams online.

George Washington officials said there's "a significant increase" in cases, and while people are not severely sick, "it is critical that we act to limit the further spread."

-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart


Fenway Park to reopen as booster site

Boston's historic baseball stadium Fenway Park, which transformed into a mass vaccination site last winter, is expected to reopen its doors as a booster shot location in January, Red Sox officials told ABC News.

The Red Sox are working with the city and the governor's office to finalize the plans, Red Sox spokeswoman Zineb Curran said.


-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos


Omicron now makes up nearly 100% of strains found in Orlando wastewater samples

The new omicron variant makes up nearly 100% of the strains found in wastewater samples in Orlando, Florida, officials said Thursday.

"It escalated rapidly," Orange County Utilities spokeswoman Sarah Lux told ABC News.

In its first test for the variant last Thursday, the department found no evidence of omicron in the community's wastewater, she said. On Saturday, it represented about 30% of the strains found in the samples, and by Tuesday, nearly 100%.

"So, we're talking about zero to nearly 100 in a matter of a week," Lux said.

All parts of the county are seeing an increasing presence of the omicron variant, she said. The southern area, home to the theme parks, has seen the highest amount of virus remnants, followed by the eastern area, which is home to the University of Central Florida.

-ABC News' Arielle Mitropoulos