OMICRON

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday.

The mandate is the strictest of its kind so far in the European Union.

Omicron may be less dangerous on an individual level, but hospitals are still overwhelmed, with dire ripple effects.

A variant that spreads comprehensively won’t necessarily protect comprehensively.

Retail sales fell 3.7% last month as Plan B restrictions hit pre-Christmas spending.

Team Rising debates the future of the pandemic, and whether Omicron will be the last variant. About Rising: Rising is a weekday morning show with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before. The show leans into the day's political cycle with cutting edge analysis from DC insiders who can predict what is going to happen. It also sets the day's political agenda by breaking exclusive news with a team of scoop-driven reporters and demanding answers during interviews with the country's most important political newsmakers. Follow Rising on social media: Website: Hill.TV Facebook: facebook.com/HillTVLive/ Instagram: @HillTVLive Twitter: @HillTVLive

Taryn de Vere has gained global attention for outfits including pot noodle and curry powder.

The owners of a company operating hundreds of pop-up COVID-19 testing sites across the country, including one in Jacksonville, have been the subject of several investigations by major media outlets over how they’re spending their money.

Stormont ministers agree to drop the use of vaccine passports in hospitality settings from Wednesday.

A surge in COVID cases has set back what had been a strong comeback from last year's short but devastating coronavirus recession.

Latest COVID-19 wave is driving up layoffs, with 286,000 people applying for jobless aid last week.

The FDA says criminals are posing as real sellers of home virus tests. Here's how to avoid getting ripped off.

Paxton, a Republican, has fought the Biden administration's attempts to mandate vaccines, including for health-care workers and the National Guard.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s office is accusing the Center for Covid Control of deceptive and fraudulent practices.

Beauty salons and fitness centers have been reopened after a strict lockdown to contain the omicron variant, but cultural institutions cannot resume operations yet.

New Zealand is among the few remaining countries to have avoided any outbreaks of the omicron variant

South African scientists tell the BBC their research should have been taken more seriously.

Misleading posts about the Pfizer vaccine's protection against Omicron took the drug company's boss out of context.

On Wednesday, President Biden held a press conference, defending the track record of the White House during his first year in office. He said that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been clear about doing anything to prevent Biden from being a success. But Biden questioned what Mitch stands for himself.

Though vaccination was superior to prior infection during the Alpha wave, the Delta variant changed that, according to new CDC data.

A rare statement from the two does not address some issues but describes them as warm friends.

Prime Minister Boris Johnon says thanks to booster shots and people following the rules, the Omicron wave "has now peaked" in the U.K., so the rules are being lifted.

The White House will distribute 400 million free N95 masks starting next week. They will be available at pharmacies and community centers throughout the country.

Americans may order four at-home tests per household as part of the Biden administration's strategy to make tests accessible.

Vanderbilt's Dr. Peter Rebeiro tells Newsy how to extend the practical life of your masks in the face of Omicron.

Vanderbilt's Dr. Peter Rebeiro tells Newsy how to extend the practical life of your masks in the face of Omicron.

Schools have shifted to remote because of teacher, bus driver and other staff shortages.

Schools have shifted to remote because of teacher, bus driver and other staff shortages.

As many Americans sit in a weird pandemic limbo, essential workers bear the brunt of the Omicron surge.

Places in the U.S. that were hit first with the Omicron wave are now seeing a slowdown in case numbers, but other parts of the country continue to struggle to handle the surge. CBS News' Michael George reports, and then Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, joins Elaine Quijano on "Red and Blue" with more on the impact in schools, the rollout of free at-home tests, and why CDC guidance keeps changing.

As of today, you should be able to order free Covid at-home test kits through a new federal government website and have them mailed to your door.

The press conference will be held the day before he marks one full year in office.

In order to minimize the risk of Olympic athletes being exposed to COVID-19, journalists covering the event are tested daily for the disease, and a state-of-the-art facility helps limit human contact.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the Delta variant, but experts say Omicron is also claiming lives.

Some unknown portion of these deaths are among people infected with the Delta variant, but experts say Omicron is also claiming lives.

Research conducted by an Israeli hospital shows a fourth shot does increase a person's antibodies but not enough to prevent Omicron infection.

Research conducted by an Israeli hospital shows a fourth shot does increase a person's antibodies but not enough to prevent Omicron infection.

Nightclubs will reopen and large indoor events can resume from 24 January, Nicola Sturgeon confirms.

ShutterstockThe new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus is continuing its march around the planet. It’s now the dominant lineage in the United States, much of South America and Europe, and many Asian countries.The new variant is a nasty one. But some countries have weathered Omicron without registering any significant increase in severe illness or death. Cases go way up. Serious cases don’t. Singapore and South Africa are great examples.But other countries—the United States, for one—haven’t

An Israeli hospital says preliminary research indicates a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine provides only limited defense against the omicron variant that’s raging around the world

To be sure, cases are rising in the majority of states with 23 reporting record-high infection levels as of Sunday.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening.

The coronavirus’ omicron variant is barreling across South America and pressuring hospitals whose employees are getting infected and taking sick leave, leaving facilities understaffed to cope with COVID-19′s third wave

Officials are warning drivers to stay off the slick roads in the Northeast as a powerful winter storm makes its way up from the South. Hundreds of accidents and massive power outages are being blamed on the storm.

In the central Spanish village of San Bartolome de Pinares, horsemen ride through a bonfire for the the traditional religious festival of "Las Luminarias". The festival is held in honour of San Antonio Abad, patron saint of animals, and the ritual of riding through fire is mant to purify and protect the animal.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Dr. Scott Gottlieb that aired Sunday, January 16, 2022, on "Face the Nation."

The show’s inaugural episode of 2022 eschewed levity, in favor of dark, and often awkward, absurdity.

Americans are making more money than they were a year ago, but inflation is impacting those higher wages. Stacey Vanek Smith, co-host of NPR's The Indicator podcast, joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss more

Experts are warning that subsequent COVID-19 variants are likely to come after Omicron, AP reports.Why it matters: The warnings come as there's no guarantee that subsequent variants "will cause milder illness or that existing vaccines will work against them," underscoring the need for widespread vaccination, AP writes. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe chance of the virus mutating increases with every infection, raising concer

COVID’s winter surge holds a deeper lesson about the perils of interpreting data without a full appreciation of the context.

In December, COVID-19 cases in New York City grew more than twentyfold. In the past few days, they have flattened.

In December, COVID-19 cases in New York City grew more than twentyfold. In the past few days, they have flattened.

Federal officials are investigating numerous complaints related to Center for COVID Control, the company that had been operating a rapid COVID-19 testing site in downtown Jacksonville, the News4JAX I-TEAM learned Friday.

A COVID-19 testing company with a location in downtown Jacksonville has suspended operations.

Just last week, we asked: If you’re a health care worker, what are you seeing lately on the job?

The nation’s top health officials testified Tuesday before United States senators about the federal government’s response to the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Starting Monday, unvaccinated employees at big companies will be expected to wear masks to work.

Look, life as we know it right now is pretty insane. Omicron is raging across the country, it didn’t even feel like 2021 happened and America’s sweetheart, Betty White, is dead.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a briefing Wednesday as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to surge, fueled by the highly contagious omicron variant.

President Joe Biden is urging concern but not alarm as the United States set records for daily reported COVID-19 cases and his administration struggles to ease concerns about testing shortages.

Why are so many vaccinated people getting COVID-19 lately.

When it comes to treatment of COVID-19, options are limited, and the omicron variant has proved to be an even bigger challenge for providers.

Florida reported 58,018 COVID-19 cases for Wednesday as the omicron variant surges, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

In a potentially ominous message for Florida’s cruise-ship industry, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that people should avoid cruise travel “regardless of vaccination status” because of the spread of COVID-19.

As the demand for testing has grown, the FDA announced at home COVID tests may not detect the Omicron variant as well as other variants.

While COVID-19 cases spike locally and across the nation, doctors worry about the youngest patients.

New cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average, a surge driven largely by the highly contagious omicron variant.

We might not be able to claim that 2021 was *the* wildest year in recent history (2020 will likely get that credit for quite some time), but it might be a close second.

Greece’s health minister says music will be banned at all commercial venues for New Year’s celebrations as part of new restrictions announced in response to a surge in COVID-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant.

Omicron may not be as prevalent as first thought, but it does remain the dominant variant in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

UF Health Jacksonville had considered no longer ordering the Regeneron monoclonal antibody treatment but with the new numbers from the CDC, they backed off that decision and will continue to offer Regeneron treatment, Neilsen said.

The latest COVID-19 variant is upending holiday plans for tens of thousands of travelers — but it didn’t do much damage to holiday shopping.

With COVID-19 cases spiking, a local infectious disease expert shares his advice to help keep you and your family safe during the holidays.

Citing a “nationwide spike in Omicron cases,” United Airlines on Thursday announced it is canceling some of its Christmas Eve flights.

There’s now another treatment option for COVID-19.

The Florida Department of Health in Duval County offered a warning on Thursday, saying to expect another surge of COVID-19 in the coming months because of the omicron variant.

Local doctors have a strong message for the community: The omicron variant is here.

Genomic surveillance data shows omicron has overtaken the delta variant in Miami-Dade County as the dominant strain of the coronavirus in just a matter of weeks.

President Joe Biden has announced plans to deliver 500 million free COVID-19 tests to Americans, increase support for hospitals and expand the availability of vaccines to confront a winter surge of coronavirus cases driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant.

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 omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading, and infectious disease experts say it won't be long before it's detected in the Jacksonville area.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid says the omicron variant of COVID-19 is spreading so rapidly that it has the potential to overwhelm Britain’s hospitals.

The first case of the coronavirus omicron variant in Florida was confirmed Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health said.

The first case of the Omicron variant was recently reported in the United States, and now, other cases are starting to emerge.

To protect yourself against the omicron variant, experts say to do what you would against any other variant.

Health experts are warning a new ‘Omicron wave’ could cause a large surge in infections across the world in the next month as people are traveling during the holiday season.

While all eyes are on the new and little-understood omicron variant, the delta form of the coronavirus isn’t finished wreaking havoc in the U.S., sending record numbers of patients to the hospital in some states, especially in the Midwest and New England.

Lab testing has confirmed a COVID-19 case involving the omicron variant in Minnesota, state health officials said Thursday.

The omicron coronavirus variant has been confirmed in an unvaccinated Hawaii resident with no recent travel history.

The U.S. recorded its first confirmed case of the omicron variant Wednesday — a person in California who had been to South Africa.

News4JAX on Wednesday checked in with local hospitals to see what is happening at those locations and went to several testing and vaccine sites to check if more people are taking precautions now because of the omicron variant.

Scientists say it could be weeks before they better understand how dangerous the omicron variant is.

The World Health Organization says travel bans by countries are having an impact on global cooperation against the new omicron variant by causing “challenges” to the sharing of laboratory samples from South Africa that can help get better grips on the new variant.

It’s still too early to tell: That is the message from the White House COVID-19 Response Team as scientists race to find out more about the omicron variant.

Britain says it will offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months to bolster the nation’s immunity as the new omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads.

President Biden on Monday told the nation that there was no need to panic about the new COVID-19 variant omicron, and a Jacksonville-area coronavirus researcher agrees with that approach.