(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 793,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
Just 60.4% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Dec 09, 7:33 pm
At least 25 states have confirmed omicron cases
At least 25 states have now reported cases of the omicron variant, just over a week after California identified the first case in the U.S.
Iowa, Michigan and Virginia became the latest states Thursday to confirm positive cases of the new variant of concern.
Other states with confirmed cases include Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky told the Associated Press Wednesday that most of the cases have been mild, though there has been at least one hospitalization.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 09, 4:22 pm
US daily case average up by nearly 83% since October
COVID-19-related hospital admissions in the U.S. are up by 47% in the last month, according to federal data. Nearly 80% of adult ICU beds are full.
The U.S. is now reporting more than 117,000 new cases each day. The daily case average has surged by nearly 83% since late October, according to federal data.
New Hampshire holds the nation’s highest case rate, followed by Michigan, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New Mexico, Indiana, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York.
-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos
Dec 09, 2:54 pm
Over 2 million 5- to 11-year-olds fully vaccinated
Over 2 million children ages 5 to 11 are now fully vaccinated, White House COVID-19 data director Cyrus Shahpar said.
These kids are among the over 200 million Americans of all ages who are now fully vaccinated, according to the White House.
Shahpar’s tweet added, “Early evidence indicates boosters increase protection against Omicron. Get boosted!”
However, roughly two-thirds of parents of elementary school-aged children are either holding off on getting their younger kids vaccinated or refuse to do so, according to a poll released Thursday by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
Parents of teens are more willing to get their kids vaccinated, but only about half of that age group have gotten the shot so far, KFF found.
The new findings come despite increasing evidence that the vaccine is safe and that kids and teens are now helping to drive up case numbers.
Dec 09, 2:53 pm
CDC signs off, recommends boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds
CDC director Rochelle Walensky has signed off on the recommendation for Pfizer boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds.
“Although we don’t have all the answers on the Omicron variant, initial data suggests that COVID-19 boosters help broaden and strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants,” Walensky said. “I strongly encourage adolescents ages 16 and 17 to get their booster if they are at least 6 months post their initial Pfizer vaccination series.”
The FDA authorized Pfizer’s booster for 16 and 17 year olds earlier on Thursday.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called this a “critical milestone.”
“While new variants, including Omicron, emerge across the globe, we believe that the best way to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and any future variants is getting all eligible people fully vaccinated with the first two dose series and a booster dose as recommended,” he said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett, Eric M. Strauss
Dec 09, 11:36 am
FDA authorizes boosters for 16- and 17-year-olds
The FDA has expanded Pfizer’s booster eligibility to include 16- and 17-year-olds. Next, the CDC must sign off.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called this a “critical milestone.”
“While new variants, including Omicron, emerge across the globe, we believe that the best way to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and any future variants is getting all eligible people fully vaccinated with the first two-dose series and a booster dose as recommended,” he said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett, Eric M. Strauss
Dec 09, 9:30 am
US processing 1 million PCR tests per day
The U.S. is processing 1 million PCR tests each day, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton during an interview Wednesday at the CDC’s Emergency Operation Center.
“That gives us a really good window as to test positivity,” Walensky said. “It also gives us the samples we need in order to sequence, because we can’t sequence from a rapid test.”
“The rapid tests, I think, have another important role, and that is to empower people to help make smart decisions,” Walensky said. “Don’t do a test that you’re not going to do anything with the information. Most people now who do a rapid test are doing so either to protect themselves or somebody who they’re about to go see or some family member. And so they are generally motivated, I would say, to do the right thing with the result.”
-ABC News’ Eric M. Strauss, Sony Salzman
Dec 09, 5:57 am
Omicron spreads but severe cases remain low in South Africa, WHO says
The World Health Organization said Thursday that preliminary data indicates hospitalizations in South Africa remain low, offering “signs of hope,” despite the fact that the omicron variant is spreading rapidly and weekly COVID-19 cases on the African continent have surged by 93%.
In the week ending on Dec. 5, southern Africa recorded a 140% hike in COVID-19 cases, the highest of any region on the continent for that period, mainly driven by an uptick in South Africa, according to the WHO. While researchers are still working to determine whether omicron is fueling the surge, the WHO said that emerging data from South Africa indicates the new variant may cause less severe illness. Data on COVID-19 hospitalizations across South Africa between Nov. 14 and Dec. 4 show that intensive care unit occupancy was only 6.3%, which the WHO said is very low compared with the same period when the country was facing the peak linked to the delta variant in July.
Furthermore, data from the same two-week period from one of the South African health districts most impacted by omicron show that out of more than 1,200 hospital admissions related to COVID-19, there were 98 patients receiving supplemental oxygen and only four on ventilators. The WHO cautioned that the data is “very preliminary with a small sample size and most of the people admitted to the health facilities were under the age of 40.”
Since omicron was first identified in southern Africa in November, confirmed cases of the variant have been reported in 57 countries around the world. In an effort to prevent the spread of the new variant, more than 70 countries have imposed travel bans that are mainly targeting southern African nations, some of which have yet to report any omicron cases, according to the WHO.
“With Omicron now present in nearly 60 countries globally, travel bans that mainly target African countries are hard to justify,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO’s regional director for Africa, said in a statement Thursday. “Through the diligent surveillance efforts of African scientists, the new variant of concern was first detected on this continent, but it’s unclear if transmission was taking place silently in other regions. We call for science-based public health measures to counter the spread of COVID-19. The travel restrictions come at the height of the end-of-year tourist season, ravaging Africa’s economies, with a knock-on impact that is potentially devastating to the health of Africans.”
Dec 08, 9:44 pm
FDA authorizes antibody cocktail for use before COVID-19 exposure
The Food and Drug Administration has authorized the first monoclonal antibody therapy for use before COVID-19 exposure.
AstraZeneca’s Evusheld antibody cocktail can now be given to certain people for preventative use against the virus, including those who are moderately to severely immunocomromised due to a medical condition or medication, and those who have a history of severe adverse reactions to a COVID-19 vaccine. People also must not be currently infected with COVID-19 or have been recently exposed to the virus.
In a recent Phase III clinical trial, AstraZeneca found that the therapy reduced the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 infections by 83% in people who did not have the virus, had not been exposed to it and were unvaccinated, when compared to the placebo group.
AstraZeneca told ABC News it is testing the product against the new omicron variant and is “hopeful” that it will hold up against it. Results are expected to become available “within weeks,” the company said. So far, Evusheld has been found to neutralize all previous COVID-19 variants of concern, it said.
AstraZeneca said it has agreed to supply the U.S. government with 700,000 doses of Evusheld, which will be distributed to states and territories at no cost and on a pro-rata basis.
-ABC News’ Sasha Pezenik
Dec 08, 9:40 pm
New Hampshire deploying National Guard to hospitals amid surge
New Hampshire will be deploying National Guard members to hospitals statewide to provide support as the state sees a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, Gov. Chris Sununu announced Wednesday.
Seventy members will be deployed in the coming week and assist with food service and clerical work, officials said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will also be sending a team of 30 paramedics to help the hospitals with the highest COVID-19 burdens, the governor said.
There are 462 current COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state, the highest since the pandemic began.
Dec 08, 8:48 pm
Senate votes to repeal Biden mandate; won’t affect rule due to objection in House
The Senate passed a repeal of President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate on private businesses with over 100 employees by a vote of 52-48 Wednesday night, but the mandate is not threatened due to opposition in the Democrat-controlled House.
Two Democrats crossed party lines and voted with Republicans to repeal the mandate. The votes cast by Sens. Joe Manchin, . and Jon Tester, D-Mont., were expected.
While the legislation has now passed the Senate, it will almost certainly not impact the mandate.
It’s unclear if the Senate-passed repeal will even be brought up in the House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not required to bring it up for a floor vote, and at least 218 signatures would be needed to force consideration. Even then, if the House were to pass it, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that Biden would veto it should it land on his desk.
The mandate faces stiffer opposition in ongoing legal challenges from several Republican-led states.
-ABC News’ Allie Pecorin
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