# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2022 Breaking News
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022
**Category:** The Quarantine Zone
**Tags:** covid-quarantine
**Created:** [January 1, 2022, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022 "2022-01-01T05:02:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/61 "2022-01-05T01:39:43Z")
So “fuck it, let’s have a big virus party and catch it all at once” it is. Glad you’re not in charge of public health.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/62 "2022-01-05T02:06:47Z")
He never said that. He even claridied that he’s not talking about that. So this is just a smear.
Look, all decisions involve a cost/benefit analysis. If a variant of a virus comes along that is a lot less lethal, this changes the cost/benefit relationship, and should imply a different response. That doesn’t mean covid parties.
It could mean a public health focus on vaccinations and protecting the vulnerable, but ending lockdowns. It could mean ending vaccine mandates, as it appears that vaccines don’t really slow the spread of Omicron, but do protect the vaccinated from serious outcomes. That would mean the unvaxxed are primarily risking their own health and not that of others. From my perspective, if the vaccinated are not at extra risk from the unvaccinated, then the state’s right to interfere should be greatly diminished.
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### Author:  [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/63 "2022-01-05T02:52:41Z")
> [@squeegee](#):
>
> > [@dtilque](#):
> >
> > Don’t get so excited. Much of that is just catch-up from the holidays. A weekend effect squared, shall we say.
>
> We’re already up to 920,787 US cases today and it’s only 5pm. I don’t think this is entirely reporting delays, this is the continuation of a huge surge.
Looks like today will top out at 935,926 US cases. Just under 1.9 million in two days.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/64 "2022-01-05T02:54:40Z")
295,549,540 total cases
5,473,509 dead
256,083,112 recovered
In the US:
58,040,720 total cases
851,439 dead
41,901,183 recovered
Yesterday’s numbers for comparison:
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> 292,966,139 total cases
> 5,465,921 dead
> 255,344,343 recovered
>
> In the US:
>
> 57,104,794 total cases
> 848,844 dead
> 41,708,956 recovered
---
### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/65 "2022-01-05T03:38:50Z")
The topic we were discussing was cancelling the olympics in China. Thanks for the info about unrelated matters though.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/66 "2022-01-05T08:24:57Z")
Moderating:
This thread is for breaking news, not for commentary. If you want to discuss a particular news item, please start a new thread for it. Feel free to link that thread to this one, for easy reference.
---
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/67 "2022-01-05T13:19:28Z")
Johns Hopkins data on new Daily Reported COVID Cases (7-day average). The whole country is in the red again (meaning rising cases) except for Maine.
There are new record highs as of yesterday, January 4, in:
**Rhode Island** – 4057 (with some _non-averaged_ days around 16,000 !)
**Vermont** – 1128
**New Hampshire** – 1558
**Connecticut** – 8570
**Maryland** – 16348
**Washington DC** – 2802
**Pennsylvania** – 21640
**Michigan** – 16389
**West Virginia** – 2879
**Mississippi** – 5591
**Tennessee** – 12674
**Kentucky** – 7382
**Indiana** – 9934
**Illinois** – 28404
**Missouri** – 8539
**Louisiana** – 10113
**Texas** – 55704
**Kansas** – 3666
**Utah** – 4854
**Nevada** – 3743
**California** – 59084
**Oregon** – 3548
**Washington (state)** – 9815
The US as a whole seems to have achieved a new all-time world record of 579088 new reported daily cases (7-day average). Way to go, team.
The World Science Fiction Convention in Washington DC last month wasn’t cancelled, but last night I received word that, less than two weeks shy of the opening, Boston’s Arisia convention has been shelved. Under the circumstances, I’m not surprised.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/68 "2022-01-05T15:37:05Z")
Fake testing sites have been popping up in areas such as Northern Illinois and Philadelphia.
> **[Fake COVID testing sites popping up across Chicago area, Better Business...](https://abc7chicago.com/covid-testing-scam-fake-sites-pop-up-test-covid-19-warning/11425543/)**
>
> Don't be fooled by bogus COVID testing sites, officials warn.
> **[What's the deal with the rogue COVID testing sites in Philly? Here's...](https://billypenn.com/2022/01/04/warning-covid-test-sites-philadelphia-fake-labelite/)**
>
> How to spot them, and why they’re so problematic.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/69 "2022-01-05T20:15:54Z")
Here’s some news:
> **[Sundance cancels in-person film festival due to virus surge](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-entertainment-business-health-arts-and-entertainment-38269240936b2ef145817e614e22d07a)**
>
> NEW YORK (AP) — Just two weeks before it was to be held in Park City, Utah, the Sundance Film Festival is canceling its in-person festival and reverting to an entirely virtual edition due to the current coronavirus surge.
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### Author:  [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/70 "2022-01-05T20:28:04Z")
I think this qualifies as breaking news, if only because a Prime Minister got involved.
> World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic’s entry into Australia has been delayed over an issue with his visa and exemption from being vaccinated against Covid. Players taking part in the Australian Open must be jabbed or have an exemption approved by an independent panel. Defending champion Djokovic announced yesterday he would be playing thanks to an exemption but upon arriving at the airport in Melbourne it emerged the Serbian star’s team had not requested a visa that permits medical exemptions for being unvaccinated. And **Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison has warned there will be “no special rules” for Djokovic - who said last year he was opposed to vaccination - and said he “could be on the next plane home”** unless he provides evidence he genuinely can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons.
My bold. I took that summary from a BBC rolling news story, so I won’t post a link to that; but the full story is here:
> **[Novak Djokovic: Tennis star's Australia entry delayed over visa row](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59884038)**
>
> The tennis player had been controversially exempted from vaccination rules for the Australian Open.
j
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/71 "2022-01-05T21:20:14Z")
Here’s some more news:
> **[Grammys postpone ceremony, citing omicron variant risks](https://apnews.com/article/grammy-awards-postponed-omicron-50814c67be2bc012fde83414498360cf)**
>
> LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Grammy Awards were postponed Wednesday weeks before the planned Los Angeles ceremony over what organizers called “too many risks” from the omicron variant, signaling what could be the start of another year of pandemic...
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### Author:  [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/72 "2022-01-05T22:31:29Z")
Still counting as ‘breaking’, but jury is out on whether it is ‘news’.
Djokovic’s visa has now been cancelled. While there are possible appeal avenues its hard to see him forcing the government’s hand on a visa issue.
As context, our federal government, and this prime minister, is being smacked around the head for dropping the ball on covid management, so they will want to look particularly loud and tough on Djokovic. So, to give them a hand, can you all please focus your attention completely on the tennis player and nothing in the background.
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### Author:  [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/73 "2022-01-05T23:21:08Z")
I must admit, I’m having a hard time following exactly what happened with Djokovic. The timeline seems to be:
- A whole bunch of potential players/assistants apply for a medical exemption from Tennis Australia/the Victorian government. Djokovic is one of those who gets one. This is in the context of the Vic government _usually_ being way stricter/more cautious than the Feds wrt Covidsafe measures, so that’s a bit odd. Everyone goes apeshit because the dude’s an anti-vaxxer, and we think he’s an arse. Morrison says “well, this is a matter for the Victorian government - not my problem”
- Djokovic rocks up at the airport, and _some_ sources say “with a visa that doesn’t allow for exemptions” but _other_ sources say “with insufficient evidence that his grounds for an exemption was actually true”. Gets visa cancelled. Morrison takes credit.
From what I hear, one of the grounds for exemption is “has had actual Covid in the last 6 months” which I actually think is fair enough (though I also think Djokovic’s an arse just on general principles) so I suspect he was trying on “yes, I pinky-swear I had Covid in October - flu-like symptoms and loss of smell and everything” without actually having any sort of documentation of the fact. But it’s rather unclear exactly who was in charge of what, at what point.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2022, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/74 "2022-01-05T23:37:06Z")
> [@PackerMan2](#):
>
> New Variant in France.
The WHO says they have been aware of this since November and aren’t very concerned.
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-04/who-official-downplays-coronavirus-variant-found-in-france-ky08hmpe](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-04/who-official-downplays-coronavirus-variant-found-in-france-ky08hmpe)
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/75 "2022-01-06T01:06:20Z")
298,083,383 total cases
5,481,639 dead
256,751,148 recovered
In the US:
58,765,219 total cases
853,561 dead
41,994,529 recovered
Yesterday’s numbers for comparison:
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> 295,549,540 total cases
> 5,473,509 dead
> 256,083,112 recovered
>
> In the US:
>
> 58,040,720 total cases
> 851,439 dead
> 41,901,183 recovered
I know what many of you are thinking so: yes; those numbers are correct.
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### Author:  [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/76 "2022-01-06T04:25:21Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> I know what many of you are thinking so: yes; those numbers are correct.
“Only” 764K US cases today. Downblip noise or is Omicron receding as it did in SA?
---
### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/77 "2022-01-06T13:21:04Z")
Lots of new record high Daily Reported Cases of COVID (7-day average) from Johns Hopkins (as of January 5 2022):
**Vermont** – 1329
**New Hampshire** – 2352
**New York** – 73676
**Massachusetts** – 20685
**Rhode Island** – 5024
**Connecticut** – 11156
**Maryland** – 18919
**Washington DC** – 3133
**Puerto Rico** – 10114
**Georgia** – 22266
**South Carolina** – 10779
**Virginia** – 17092
**Michigan** – 24603
**Ohio** – 24182
**Wisconsin** – 8847
**Illinois** – 36474
**Indiana** – 13156
**Kentucky** – 9806
**Tennessee** – 12674
**Mississippi** – 7239
**Louisiana** – 12714
**Arkansas** – 4495
**Missouri** – 11634
**South Dakota** --1520
**Nebraska** – 2816
**Kansas** – 7447
**Texas** – 66590
**New Mexico** – 2896
**Colorado** – 10652
**Nevada** – 4438
**Utah** – 6666
**Washington (state)** – 12490
**Oregon** – 5096
**California** – 74010
That’s 32 states, plus DC and Puerto Rico
As before, several states either just came down off a record high, or are poised to set a new one.
The US as a whole has a new record (and a new world record over the entire pandemic) of 710892 cases in a single day (7-day averaged)
If you look sat the trends, this current surge exceeds anything we’ve seen previously by far – these values wiould be literally off the charts if plotted on graphs from a year ago. The numbers of cases, even on the new plots, are surging exponentially upwards. I’m surprised that there haven’t been even more cancellations and shutdowns than we’d seen before. Unwillingness to close things down (and the knowledge that we now have more masks, vaccines, and experience) and the apparently less severe nature of omicron seems to be the reason, but by any objective view, this is a much bigger surge than we’ve seen before.
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### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/78 "2022-01-06T18:08:32Z")
Humans once again proving they are the smartest, most capable and adaptive of all species:
> **[Near-empty flights crisscross Europe to secure landing slots](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-greta-thunberg-europe-46f83ff11edb3f866a581fcec515164f)**
>
> BRUSSELS (AP) — Europe's sky is filling up with near-empty polluting planes that serve little other purpose than safeguarding airlines' valuable time slots at some of the world's most important airports.
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2022, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/79 "2022-01-06T22:00:47Z")
Again? That happened in 2020 too. You’d think the airports would’ve done something to “protect” the slots by now that wouldn’t involve doing something this stupid and polluting.
And on another topic: [Covid: Deadly Omicron should not be called mild, warns WHO](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59901547)
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [January 7, 2022, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2022-breaking-news/957022/80 "2022-01-07T02:04:38Z")
300,684,964 total cases
5,489,503 dead
257,483,676 recovered
In the US:
59,564,116 total cases
855,843 dead
42,089,198 recovered
Yesterday’s numbers for comparison:
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#):
>
> 298,083,383 total cases
> 5,481,639 dead
> 256,751,148 recovered
>
> In the US:
>
> 58,765,219 total cases
> 853,561 dead
> 41,994,529 recovered
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