More than 103,000 Americans were hospitalized with covid-19 on Monday, according to Washington Post figures, the highest number since late summer, when the delta variant of the coronavirus triggered a nationwide surge in cases. The figure reflects the 27 percent rise in covid-19 hospitalizations in the United States in the past week, while the daily average of new cases during the same period more than doubled. Average daily new deaths from covid-19 declined by 8 percent. Hospitalization numbers better capture the pandemic’s impact than infection figures, said Anthony S. Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, while appearing on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. The worst day of the pandemic for hospitalizations was Jan. 14, 2021, with more than 142,000.
- A majority of schools across the country are reopening for in-person learning this week despite the omicron surge, mindful of the academic, logistical and social-emotional disruptions that remote education inflicted last year and determined to avoid a repeat.
- The first physical CES electronics show in two years will kick off this week, though organizers have shortened the tech event by a day, and several major companies have pulled out.
- The Food and Drug Administration on Monday authorized booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 12-to-15-year-olds, and shortened to five months the time required between the second dose of the vaccine and a booster.
With coronavirus cases surging as winter break ends, some parents and educators in the Washington region are calling for a temporary switch to virtual learning or more immediate testing to avert classroom outbreaks and further spread of the highly contagious omicron variant. But the growing push for caution comes as many other families, school leaders and advocates are resolute that in-person learning go on as before, saying that students cannot afford to lose more in-person instruction than they already have almost two years into education’s biggest crisis. The clash is creating the starkest tension yet this school year about classroom-based learning as the pandemic rages on. For some, it is another tug-of-war between safety and education. For others it’s more nuanced.
Even as coronavirus caseloads hit record levels, school districts across the country are reopening for in-person learning this week, mindful of the damage that remote education inflicted last year and determined to avoid a repeat.
Districts continued to battle staff shortages that have beset schools all year, and there was a familiar scramble for parents in many communities as districts delayed the start of school to allow for coronavirus testing of students and staff. Some districts announced a return to online school due to a spike in cases, including large systems in Cleveland, Atlanta and Newark. But the vast majority of schools opened Monday or plan to reopen this week, determined to avoid the academic, logistical and social-emotional disruptions that came with remote learning. The U.S. Navy combat ship that was sidelined by a coronavirus outbreak among its crew last month has returned to sea, even as some sailors on board remain positive for the virus, officials said Monday. The USS Milwaukee, a littoral combat ship with a crew of 105 plus a detachment of Coast Guard personnel and an aviation unit, had been at port in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, since Dec. 20, after stopping at the U.S. military base there to refuel. The Associated Press reported that about 25 percent of the ship’s sailors had tested positive. Officials said Monday that “all affected sailors exhibited mild or no symptoms.”
Here’s what to know about the top coronavirus stories around the globe from news service reports.
- Hong Kong has widened its “vaccine bubble,” requiring people to have received at least one coronavirus shot before visiting schools, restaurants, gyms and other public venues, such as museums and libraries. The new measure, which also applies to employees at such establishments, will take effect Feb. 24, the government said Tuesday.
- In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that further restrictions are not needed in England because the omicron variant is “plainly milder” than other forms of the coronavirus. Johnson’s response to omicron included requiring face coverings in places such as shops and on public transit, but he stopped short of ordering tougher restrictions such as closing businesses.
- In Australia, where cases are surging, the country’s total of infections since the pandemic began has passed the half-million mark, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. On Tuesday, New South Wales and Victoria both registered record daily case numbers.
- Some lawmakers in France have received death threats amid debate over a proposed law that would further restrict unvaccinated people from much of public life. On Monday, Health Minister Olivier Véran criticized the “selfishness” of vaccine opponents after two female lawmakers tweeted screenshots of the targeted abuse.
The number of New Yorkers hospitalized with coronavirus infections topped 9,500 on Monday, surpassing the peak reached during last year’s winter wave, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The state — and especially New York City — is once again a major hotbed of the pandemic, with the hyper-infectious omicron variant fueling a rapid rise in new cases and a pair of winter holidays providing the virus ample opportunity to spread through indoor gatherings. “We’re not in a good place, I’m going to be really honest with you,” Hochul (D) said. “This is the winter surge we predicted.”
Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, says the better way to track the variant’s impact is to look at growing hospitalizations. Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, Fauci said “the real bottom line that you want to be concerned about is: Are we getting protected by the vaccines from severe disease leading to hospitalization?”