NY loosens COVID isolation rules for health workers
Fully vaccinated people in health care and other frontline fields can return to work after five days instead of 10 if they’re not showing symptoms or their symptoms are resolving. They must also wear masks on the job.
Newark planning vaccination mandate for restaurants, bars
Newark is planning a new vaccine mandate in response to a dramatic spike in COVID cases in the Garden State.
Florida hits all-time daily COVID-19 case record
Florida had 31,758 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, breaking a record for the most cases in a single day since the start of the pandemic in the U.S. in March 2020, according to data from the CDC.
Times Square New Years Eve ball drop being scaled back
With COVID cases surging in hotspot New York City, plans for New York's NYE in Times Square are being scaled back. Some local events are canceled in New York City.
Search for a COVID-19 test means sold-out signs, long lines
Fueling the surging demand for tests is a mix of factors, including families seeking to keep holiday gatherings safe and people needing to prove they are virus-free for travel, work or school.
COVID cases in NJ jump nearly 60% in one day, shattering record
The Garden State has seen a stunning increase in confirmed new cases, up 59% from Wednesday and a 126% increase from Tuesday.
Omicron variant less likely to require hospitalization, studies show
Scientists stress that even if the findings of these early studies hold up, any reductions in severity need to be weighed against the fact omicron spreads much faster than delta and is more able to evade vaccines.
FEMA launching free NY COVID test sites
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be setting up more COVID-19 testing sites in New York City before Christmas.
COVID-19 surge: Here’s what’s canceled or closing across the US
As the omicron variant continues to spread across the country, many events are getting canceled and businesses are closing.
New Jersey Gov. Murphy urges caution amid COVID spike; 'Use common sense'
New Jersey is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases not seen since the start of the year. Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said Monday during a news conference alongside Gov. Phil Murphy that the surge is most likely due to the delta and omicron variants.
COVID cases soaring on Long Island
As the COVID positivity rate rises on Long Island, hospitalizations are expected to increase, too. Mount Sinai South Nassau and other hospitals are implementing plans to deal with the influx of patients.
Omicron sweeps across U.S.; now 73% of COVID-19 cases
Omicron has raced ahead of other variants and is now the dominant version of the coronavirus in the U.S. Federal health officials said Monday that omicron accounted for an estimated 73% of new infections last week. The CDC numbers show nearly a six-fold increase in the proportion of infections in only one week.
'Really shocking' - Another NY record set as COVID cases continue surge
New York broke its own record for a third straight day, reporting 22,478 positive COVID tests in a single day.
Omicron variant may hinder 2 leading drugs against COVID-19
The rapidly-spreading omicron variant may soon leave U.S. doctors without two of the standard treatments they’ve used to fight COVID-19.
Health experts: Omicron, delta variants pose double infection risk
Health experts say that a person could catch omicron, delta, or both at the same time, and also risk a concurrent flu infection on top of one or both of those variants.
Cornell moves online due to suspected omicron variant outbreak
Cornell University has moved this week's final exams online and sent the campus into high alert after finding suspected cases of the new omicron variant among students. The university said 272 students tested positive for the virus on the 24,000-student campus Monday.
Omicron variant appearing milder than delta, South African doctors say
In the two weeks since omicron first was reported in Southern Africa, other doctors have shared similar stories. All caution that it will take many more weeks to collect enough data to be sure, their observations and the early evidence offer some clues.
WHO warns omicron variant fears may set off hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines
The World Health Organization has expressed concerns that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the omicron variant could step up hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines.
Omicron is less severe than delta but more transmissible, says Dr. Fauci
Due to its high transmissibility, omicron could soon overtake delta as the dominant strain. Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says omicron appears to cause less severe symptoms than delta.
Pfizer: COVID-19 booster offers protection against omicron in early study
Pfizer said its COVID-19 booster dose may protect against the new omicron variant, but the initial two doses appear significantly less effective.