# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2021 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [January 1, 2021, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428 "2021-01-01T08:03:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 165
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3370 "2021-12-20T14:32:37Z")
Moderna’s booster shot increases anti-Omicron antibodies [Moderna says data show COVID-19 vaccine boosters fight Omicron variant - UPI.com](https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/12/20/moderna-covid-vaccine-booster-omicron/5851640000276/) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3371 "2021-12-20T15:28:14Z")
Once again, I’m glad my three shots were Moderna. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3372 "2021-12-20T15:30:06Z")
UK: > **[Virus fears widen as omicron variant takes hold across US](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-europe-london-england-eddf1657a9462547826881562b71f3b7)** > > The nation’s second-largest city has called off its New Year’s Eve celebration, and its smallest state re-imposed an indoor mask mandate. > Britain’s main nurses’ union warned Monday that exhaustion and [surging coronavirus cases](https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic) among medical staff are pushing them to the breaking point, adding to pressure on the government for new restrictions to curb record numbers of infections driven by the omicron variant. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3373 "2021-12-20T15:56:03Z")
[France has approved shots for kids ages 5-11.](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-lifestyle-restaurants-7e627438d99a5c9adb4f920c903411c6) [Austria has ended its lockdown.](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-lifestyle-restaurants-7e627438d99a5c9adb4f920c903411c6) [EU approves 5th COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax.](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-business-lifestyle-restaurants-7e627438d99a5c9adb4f920c903411c6) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3374 "2021-12-20T15:58:50Z")
Israel is banning travel to the US and Canada: > **[Israel to ban travel to US, Canada over omicron variant](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-middle-east-canada-israel-689d0084dc4b2c48df86902b096343ab)** > > JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli ministers on Monday agreed to ban travel to the United States, Canada and eight other countries amid the rapid, global spread of the omicron variant. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s office announced the decision following a... ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3375 "2021-12-20T16:14:54Z")
No NYE fireworks in Paris. > **[Paris cancels New Year's Eve fireworks as Omicron spreads -BFM TV](https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/paris-cancels-new-years-eve-fireworks-omicron-spreads-bfm-tv-2021-12-18/)** > > Paris has cancelled planned fireworks as well as festivities on the Champs Elysees avenue on New Year's Eve in line with new government rules to prevent the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, BFM TV reported on Saturday. Germany and France have essentially banned travelers from the UK unless they’re making connecting flights: > **[Covid: Germany tightens restrictions on UK travellers](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59715820)** > > Germany follows France in banning British tourists and business travellers over Omicron concerns. ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3376 "2021-12-20T16:25:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Once again, I’m glad my three shots were Moderna. Me too. The early boosters available were Pfizer and my local Walgreens said I’d have to wait until Moderna boosters came out. My added wait time was a bit over a week. But, unlike June, when I felt invulnerable with two shots, I now know that even boosted I can get sick. Not a good feeling. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3377 "2021-12-20T17:49:38Z")
Same for me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3378 "2021-12-20T21:18:52Z")
New Hampshire: > **[1st person under 18 from New Hampshire dies of COVID-19](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-hampshire-33559479c3637fb0b3f58adadbd1e83a)** > > CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A child who was “too young to have been vaccinated" against COVID-19 is the first person under age 18 from New Hampshire to have died from complications related to the virus, health officials said Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3379 "2021-12-20T21:19:41Z")
Kansas: > **[Kansas patients needing to be transferred stranded for days](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-kansas-5ba0063b4c9fca95c043c9f5c03cb1cb)** > > MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Rural Kansas hospitals are struggling to transfer patients as COVID-19 numbers surge, with some patients left stranded in emergency rooms for a week while they wait for a bed. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3380 "2021-12-21T01:11:35Z")
73% and climbing! > **[Omicron sweeps across nation, now 73% of new US COVID cases](https://apnews.com/article/omicron-majority-us-cases-833001ef99862bd6ac17935f65c896cf)** > > NEW YORK (AP) — Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S., accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3381 "2021-12-21T01:21:33Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 73% and climbing! Well, at least we will soon only have only one thing to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![mandala](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mandala/32/95_2.png) [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3382 "2021-12-21T04:03:11Z")
How can that be? This article says that as on December 14, just 3% of all US cases was Omicron. [Omicron makes up 3% of US cases](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/14/omicron-now-makes-up-almost-3percent-of-us-covid-cases-according-to-the-cdc.html) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3383 "2021-12-21T04:34:05Z")
> [@mandala](#): > > How can that be? This article says that as on December 14, just 3% of all US cases was Omicron. The prior weekly estimate was revised up from 3% to 13%. The weekly progression was **0.4% \> 13% \> 73%**. It’s _much_ more infectious than the other strains. > On Monday, the CDC revised its estimate for omicron cases for the week that ended Dec. 11, after analyzing more samples. About 13% of the cases that week were from omicron, not the 3% previously reported. The week before, omicron accounted for just 0.4% of cases. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3384 "2021-12-21T05:01:20Z")
275,815,751 total cases 5,377,162 dead 247,498,676 recovered In the US: 52,059,667 total cases 828,836 dead 40,719,047 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 275,007,350 total cases > 5,370,192 dead > 246,674,846 recovered > > In the US: > > 51,765,714 total cases > 827,323 dead > 40,539,875 recovered ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3385 "2021-12-21T12:25:50Z")
**New York** has a confirmed seven-day-average new case record of 19,713 on the Johns Hopkins site as of December 19, and is very rapidly increasing **New Jersey** is at a record high of 7402 and rapidly rising **Delaware** at 822.5 is less than 5 away from a new record, and is rapidly rising, too. **Hawaii** isn’t at a new record, but its number of cases is shooting up at an extreme rate. It’s at 718 as of Dec 19, and the previous record was 921 back in August. **Puerto Rico** has a new record high of 1508 and rising. Most of the rest of the country is still low, or has retreated from a high. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3386 "2021-12-21T22:29:33Z")
New York City: > **[De Blasio says 'No more shutdowns' as NYC faces virus spike](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-new-york-new-york-city-nyc-state-wire-bc53a7d561a965a660f24db7e657b3fb)** > > NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he's committed to keeping the city open as it grapples with a huge spike in coronavirus cases. The Democrat said Tuesday that New York can't see schools and businesses close again like they did... ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3387 "2021-12-21T22:30:11Z")
Alabama: > **[Virus hospitalizations, school cases increasing in Alabama](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-pandemics-birmingham-death-rates-48d0ecfe6b011ab5ed5a97782de3c926)** > > BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — COVID-19 numbers are again headed in the wrong direction in Alabama, with hospitalizations up more than 50% from a month ago and school cases climbing in the state with the nation's second-highest death rate during the... ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3388 "2021-12-21T22:37:16Z")
Las Vegas & Nevada: > **[Nevada, Las Vegas chart jumps in key COVID-19 measurements](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-health-business-las-vegas-c02481411fb540c89278497df9e7f6a3)** > > LAS VEGAS (AP) — Health officials in Nevada are charting jumps in key coronavirus measurements, including more than 3,800 new cases of COVID-19 in Clark County during the last week. The Las Vegas area surpassed 6,400 deaths from coronavirus since the... ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428/3389 "2021-12-21T23:09:31Z")
Chicago will require proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues, effective Jan. 3. [Article.](https://www.chicagotribune.com/politics/ct-lightfoot-mandate-covid-omicrom-20211221-4ycl26ykobeupcjslyiramth4u-story.html) [Another article.](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-to-require-vaccine-proof-for-indoor-spaces-like-restaurants-bars-gyms/2712739/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=164) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2021-breaking-news/929428.md?page=166)