Coronavirus infections are skyrocketing ahead of the Christmas holiday in New York. Governor Kathy Hochul announced a record daily toll and a 30% jump from the record set earlier this week.
- South Carolina Democratic Congress member James Clyburn said that he tested positive for coronavirus and is asymptomatic. Clyburn is the number-three Democrat in the House, serving as majority whip.
- In addition, South African scientists say an explosion of COVID-19 cases around Johannesburg has peaked. It is happening just one month after the fast-spreading Omicron variant was first detected in the region.
- South Africa’s National Institute of Communicable Diseases said that Omicron appears less likely to cause hospitalizations and death than other variants. Researchers in Scotland and at Imperial College London announced similar findings. It’s not clear whether Omicron is sending fewer people to the hospital because it’s less virulent or because many people have partial immunity due to vaccination or a previous infection.
- However, the Supreme Court said Wednesday it will hold an emergency hearing on January 7 to consider challenges to US President Biden’s vaccine mandates for large employers and a vaccination requirement for healthcare workers. Supreme Court justices have previously ruled in favor of vaccine mandates.
- The head of the World Health Organization has again warned rich nations against administering booster shots widely until people in poor countries have access to vaccines. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said,
- “Blanket booster programs are likely to prolong the pandemic rather than ending it, by diverting supply to countries that already have high levels of vaccination coverage, giving the virus more opportunity to spread and mutate.”
- Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved emergency use of the first oral medication against COVID-19. The pill was developed by Pfizer and is marketed as Paxlovid.
