World
Airlines cancel flights due to Covid staffing shortages
Airlines continued to cancel hundreds of flights Saturday as staffing issues tied to COVID-19 disrupted holiday celebrations during one of the busiest travel times of the year.
FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 888 flights entering, leaving or inside the U.S. canceled Saturday, up from 690 Friday. About 200 more flights were already canceled for Sunday. FlightAware does not say why flights are canceled.
Delta, United and JetBlue on Friday had all said the omicron variant was causing staffing problems leading to flight cancellations. United spokesperson Maddie King said staffing shortages were still causing cancellations and it was unclear when normal operations would return. “This was unexpected,” she said of omicron’s impact on staffing. Delta and JetBlue did not immediately respond to questions Saturday.
Also read: Christmas being celebrated amid Covid caution
According to FlightAware, the three airlines canceled more than 10% of their Saturday scheduled flights. American Airlines also canceled 90 flights Saturday, about 3% of its schedule, according to FlightAware. American spokesperson Derek Walls said the cancellations stemmed from “COVID-related sick calls” and the airline contacted customers on Friday. European and Australian airlines have also canceled holiday-season flights due to staffing problems tied to COVID.
Flight delays and cancellations tied to staffing shortages have been a regular problem for the U.S. airline industry this year. Airlines encouraged workers to quit in 2020, when air travel collapsed, and were caught short-staffed this year as travel recovered.
Also read: India braces for third Covid wave
To ease staffing shortages, countries including Spain and the U.K. have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel. On Thursday, the U.S. shortened COVID-19 isolation rules for health care workers only.
Greece: 13 dead, others missing in new migrant boat accident
At least 13 people died after a migrant boat capsized in the Aegean Sea late Friday, bringing to at least 27 the combined death toll from three accidents in as many days involving migrant boats in Greek waters.
The sinkings came as smugglers increasingly favor a perilous route from Turkey to Italy, which avoids Greece’s heavily patrolled eastern Aegean islands that for years were at the forefront of the country’s migration crisis.
The coast guard said 62 people were rescued after a sailboat capsized late Friday some 8 kilometers (5 miles) off the island of Paros, in the central Aegean. Survivors told the coast guard that about 80 people had been on the vessel.
Five coast guard patrol boats, nine private vessels, a helicopter and a military transport plane continued the night-time search for more survivors, authorities said, while coast guard divers also participated.
READ: Migrant boat capsizes in English Channel; at least 31 dead
Smugglers based in Turkey increasingly have packed yachts with migrants and refugees and sent them toward Italy.
Earlier, 11 people were confirmed dead after a sailboat Thursday struck a rocky islet some 235 kilometers (145 miles) south of Athens, near the island of Antikythera. The coast guard said Friday that 90 survivors ‒ 52 men, 11 women and 27 children ‒ were rescued after spending hours on the islet.
“People need safe alternatives to these perilous crossings,” the Greek office of the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, said in a tweet.
In a separate incident Friday, Greek police arrested three people on smuggling charges and detained 92 migrants after a yacht ran aground in the southern Peloponnese region.
And a search operation also continued for a third day in the central Aegean, where a boat carrying migrants sank near the island of Folegandros, killing at least three people. Thirteen others were rescued, and the survivors reported that at least 17 people were missing. Authorities said the passengers originally were from Iraq.
Greece is a popular entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict and poverty in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. But arrivals dropped sharply in the last two years after Greece extended a wall at the Turkish border and began intercepting inbound boats carrying migrants and refugees ‒ a tactic criticized by human rights groups.
READ: One drowns, another missing in boat capsize in Chandpur
More than 116,000 asylum-seekers crossed the Mediterranean to reach EU countries this year as of Dec. 19, according to UNHCR. The agency said 55% traveled illegally to Italy, 35% to Spain, and 7% to Greece, with the remainder heading to Malta and Cyprus.
Yemeni rebel attack on southern Saudi Arabia kills 2 people
A Yemeni rebel attack on Saudi Arabia's southern border town of Jizan killed two people and wounded seven more late Friday, Saudi state-run media reported.
Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a projectile that killed a Saudi citizen and Yemeni resident in the southwestern Saudi province of Jizan, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. Six of the wounded were Saudis anattacks d one was a Bangladeshi national, Saudi media said.
Shrapnel also smashed into nearby cars and shops.
The cross-border attack is just the latest in Yemen's long-running civil war by the Shiite Houthi rebels following an escalation of Saudi-led military coalition airstrikes on the rebel-held capital of Sanaa. Saudi airstrikes rocked Sanaa earlier Friday, hitting a military camp near the city center, Houthi and Saudi media reported.
READ: Saudi university catches fire near Yemen border in attack
Yemen's war erupted in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa and much of the country's north. Months later, the U.S.-backed Saudi-led coalition intervened to oust the Houthis and restore the internationally recognized government. The war has settled into a bloody stalemate and spawned the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
Intermittently throughout the conflict, Iran-backed Houthis have staged drone attacks and fired missiles across the border at airports, oil facilities and military installations within Saudi Arabia.
Those assaults have rarely caused substantial damage, but over the years have wounded dozens and rattled global oil markets. Within Yemen, the Saudi-led bombing campaign has drawn international criticism for hitting non-military targets like hospitals and wedding parties and devastating infrastructure in the Arab world’s most impoverished nation.
Yemen's civil war has killed some 130,000 people, including thousands of civilians.
Earlier this week the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank, reported that attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia have more than doubled this year from last year. Based on an analysis of thousands of Houthi attacks between 2016 and 2021, it said Houthi attacks on the kingdom averaged 78 a month this year, compared to 38 a month last year.
READ: Attack on Iran ship off Yemen escalates shadow war
The cross-border assaults provide a broader view of the regional proxy war between Tehran and Riyadh. Although the regional powerhouses recently have engaged in Bagdad-brokered talks to cool down tensions, peace in Yemen remains elusive as diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting intensify.
COVID puts a damper on Christmas Eve again around the world
From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston, the surging coronavirus put a damper on Christmas Eve for a second year, forcing churches to cancel or scale back services and disrupting travel plans and family gatherings.
Drummers and bagpipers marched through Bethlehem to smaller than usual crowds after new Israeli travel restrictions meant to slow the highly contagious omicron variant kept international tourists away from the town where Jesus is said to have been born.
In Germany, a line wound halfway around Cologne’s massive cathedral, not for midnight Mass but for vaccinations. The offer of shots was an expression of “care for one’s neighbor” that was consistent with the message of Christmas, cathedral provost Guido Assmann told the DPA news agency.
Around the world, people weary from nearly two years of lockdowns and other restrictions searched for ways to safely enjoy holiday rituals.
“We can’t let the virus take our lives from us when we’re healthy,” said Rosalia Lopes, a retired Portuguese government worker who was doing some last-minute shopping in the coastal town of Cascais.
She said she and her family were exhausted by the pandemic and determined to go ahead with their celebrations with the help of vaccines and booster shots, rapid home tests and mask-wearing in public. She planned a traditional Portuguese Christmas Eve dinner of baked cod.
In New York City, where omicron has spread widely, people waited in long lines to get tested, many doing so as a precaution before traveling to reunite with family.
Brianna Sultan and her daughter Ava, 8, spent Friday in one of those long lines waiting for a test after they got word of another infection at school.
“It’s a terrible way to be spending Christmas Eve,” Sultan said after more than two hours in line and as the chill deepened into the evening in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. “It’s terrible that we can’t see our families because this COVID strain is coming back up again.”
Holiday travel was dealt a blow when major airlines canceled hundreds of flights amid staffing shortages largely tied to omicron.
Sadia Reins arrived in New York City from Alexandria, Virginia, on Friday to be with with her 75-year-old mother. Reins said the two haven’t spent Christmas together in two years, and despite the risks in traveling during the outbreak, she couldn’t bear to be apart from her mother again this year.
“We’re going to cry,” she said, adding: “We talk on the phone all the time, but it’s not the same as looking at someone.”
In Britain, where the coronavirus variant is ripping through the population, some houses of worship hoped to press on.
At St. Paul’s Old Ford, an Anglican church in East London, priests planned to hold services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But to protect parishioners, the church called off its Nativity play.
“You might have to cancel the service, but you can’t cancel Christmas,” said the Rev. April Keech, an associate priest. “You can’t stop love. Love still stands.”
Numerous churches in the U.S. canceled in-person services, including Washington National Cathedral in the nation’s capital and historic Old South Church in Boston. Others planned outdoor celebrations or a mix of online and in-person worship.
In Rome, a maskless Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica, where admission was limited and worshippers had to wear masks.
While the number of faithful was far more than the 200 allowed in last year, it was a fraction of the 20,000 the basilica can seat. Before the pandemic, St. Peter’s was routinely packed for midnight Mass.
Read: Christmas joy in the air amid Covid-19
In Germany, churchgoers faced a thicket of health restrictions and limits on attendance. Some had to show proof of vaccination or testing.
Frankfurt’s cathedral, which can hold 1,200 people, offered only 137 socially distanced spaces, all of which were booked days in advance. Singing was allowed only through masks.
People in the Netherlands tried to make the best of the holiday, despite living under one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe. All nonessential shops were closed, including bars and restaurants, and home visits were limited to two people per day, four on Christmas.
“We are just meeting with some small groups of family for the next few days,” Marloes Jansen, who was waiting in line to buy the traditional Dutch kerststol, a Christmas bread with fruits and nuts.
A glitch in a computerized appointment system prevented scores of people from scheduling COVID-19 tests and undermined the government’s efforts to administer booster shots in a country already lagging far behind its neighbors.
Also read: Yet another Christmas in the shadow of Covid-19
In France, some visited loved ones in the hospital. In the Mediterranean city of Marseille, the intensive care unit at La Timone Hospital has been taking in more and more COVID-19 patients in recent days.
Amelie Khayat has been paying daily visits to her husband, Ludo, 41, who is recovering from spending 24 days in a coma and on a breathing machine.
They touched their heads together as she sat on his bed, and now that he is strong enough to stand, he got up to give her a farewell hug, as a medical worker put final decorations on the ICU Christmas tree.
Parisians lined up at chocolate shops, farmers’ markets and testing centers. France has posted record numbers of daily COVID-19 infections, and hospitalizations have been rising, but the government has held off on imposing curfews or closings during the holidays.
“It does affect our enthusiasm to celebrate Christmas. It does makes us a bit sad. But at least we are sure not to contaminate or get contaminated. We will all do the test in our family,” said Fabienne Maksimovic, 55, as she waited in line at a pharmacy in Paris to get tested.
In Antwerp, Belgium, Christmas trees hung upside down from windows in a protest against the closing of cultural venues.
In Bethlehem, the scene was much more festive than it was a year ago, when musicians marched through empty streets. This year, hundreds of people gathered in Manger Square as bagpipe-and-drum units streamed through.
Before the pandemic, Bethlehem would host thousands of Christian pilgrims from around the world. The lack of visitors has hit the city’s hotels, restaurants and gift shops especially hard.
India's Omicron tally crosses 350
India's Omicron tally crossed 350 on Friday, with the health ministry on Christmas Eve recording over 120 fresh cases of the new Covid strain in 24 hours.
Indian Health Ministry said that as many as 122 new Omicron cases were reported in the past 24 hours, indicating the caseload nearly tripled in just one day. Delhi and the western state of Maharashtra are the worst hit, according to the Ministry data.
Asunder Maharashtra and Delhi, the southern Indian states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka also reported over 30 Omicron cases, as per the latest figures.
"The World Health Organisation on December 7 said that Omicron has a significant growth advantage over Delta which means, it has greater transmissibility.
Read: Omicron less likely to put you in the hospital, studies say
"Omicron cases double within 1.5-3 days, so we have to remain vigilant with Covid appropriate behaviour,” Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at a media briefing in the national capital in the evening.
Overall, India recorded 6,650 new Covid-19 cases and 374 deaths in 24 hours till Friday morning.
Alarmed by the rising Omicron cases, India's federal government on Wednesday warned states that "the variant is three times more transmissible than the Delta" and directed them to take appropriate action to rein in its spread, including activation of a "war room".
Soon after the directive was issued, state after state announced curbs to prevent any mass outbreak of the Omicron strain.
While Delhi banned all Christmas and New Year gatherings, the neighbouring state of Haryana made it clear that unvaccinated people won't be allowed to enter public places like malls, restaurants, banks and offices from January 1.
Read: U.S. announces first recorded Omicron-related death
Another northern Indian state, Punjab, told all government employees that they won't get their salary unless they upload their vaccination certificate on the official portal.
On the other hand, the southern state of Karnataka made it mandatory for all international travellers to undergo quarantine for a week post-arrival, followed by an RT-PCR test on the eight day.
The World Health Organization has already warned that the "variant of concern" -- first detected in South Africa -- could have severe consequences in several countries.
4 people injured after shooting at Chicago-area mall
A shooting at a suburban Chicago mall full of Christmas shoppers left four people injured Thursday, police said.
The incident at Oakbrook Center in Oak Brook began with two males involved in a shootout in a corridor around 5:45 p.m., police Chief James Kruger said.
He said the injuries were not life-threatening. Three people who were shot may have been bystanders hit by ricocheting bullets.
Also read: Michigan teen charged in Oxford High School shooting
One person was in custody, and police were looking for another suspect, Kruger said.
"This is just a very unfortunate incident that is completely out of character for our area,” the chief said.
The outdoor mall is a major shopping destination about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) west of Chicago. TV stations with aerial cameras showed police cars and emergency vehicles spread across the property with their lights flashing.
Shoppers who were interviewed as they were gradually released said they took cover in stores and dressing rooms.
Also read: Police: 2 die, 4 injured in Idaho mall shooting
Alex Gay, 23, said she was walking in the mall when she suddenly saw people running. She didn't hear any gunshots.
“I’m shook up,” Gay told the Chicago Tribune. “It was scary everyone was sprinting out of the mall as sirens went over intercom saying, ‘Emergency. Evacuate. Seek shelter.’ I almost got trampled.”
Last monument for Tiananmen massacre removed in Hong Kong
A monument at a Hong Kong university that was the best-known public remembrance of the Tiananmen Square massacre on Chinese soil was removed early Thursday, wiping out the city’s last place of public commemoration of the bloody 1989 crackdown.
For some at the University of Hong Kong, the move reflected the erosion of the relative freedoms they have enjoyed compared to mainland China.
The 8-meter (26-foot) -tall Pillar of Shame, which depicts 50 torn and twisted bodies piled on top of each other, was made by Danish sculptor Jens Galschioet to symbolize the lives lost during the military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.
”They are sending a signal to the students that it is over with the (Hong Kong) democracy movement and that it is over with free speech in Hong Kong,” Galschioet said of the monument’s removal.
The university said it asked that the sculpture, which had been standing on its campus for more than two decades, be put in storage because it could pose “legal risks.”
Read: Trump signs executive order to protect monuments
“No party has ever obtained any approval from the university to display the statue on campus, and the university has the right to take appropriate actions to handle it at any time,” it said in a statement after its removal.
Each year on June 4, members of the now-defunct student union would wash the statue to commemorate the massacre. The city, together with Macao, were the only places on Chinese soil where commemorations of the crackdown were allowed.
Authorities have banned annual Tiananmen candlelight vigils for two consecutive years and shut down a private museum documenting the crackdown. The group that organized the annual vigil and ran the museum, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, has since disbanded, with some of its key members behind bars.
The dismantling of the sculpture came days after pro-Beijing candidates scored a landslide victory in Hong Kong legislative elections, following amendments to election laws allowing the vetting of candidates to ensure they are “patriots” loyal to Beijing.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam traveled to Beijing this week to report on developments in the semi-autonomous Chinese city, where authorities have silenced dissent following Beijing’s imposition of a sweeping national security law that appeared to target much of the pro-democracy movement following mass protests in 2019.
The Pillar of Shame became an issue in October, when activists and rights groups opposed a university demand that it be removed following “the latest risk assessment and legal advice.” Galschioet offered to take it back to Denmark provided he would not be prosecuted under the national security law, but has not succeeded so far.
Read: Hong Kong sees record population decline
Galschioet said he has been promised a spot for the sculpture in a park across from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., and was also offered places in Norway, Canada and Taiwan.
He compared the removal of the sculpture to “driving a tank through Arlington Cemetery,” a burial ground for American war veterans.
“Grave desecration is also very frowned upon in China, but that’s really what it is. It is almost a sacred monument,” he told The Associated Press. “It is a a sculpture for those who died.”
Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said its removal was another worrying development in Hong Kong.
“The Danish government cannot decide which art other countries’ universities choose to exhibit. But for me and the government, the right to speak peacefully -- through speech, art or other means -- is a completely fundamental right for all people. This is also true in Hong Kong,” he said.
Billy Kwok, a University of Hong Kong student, said the Pillar of Shame has been treated as part of the university by many who studied there.
“It’s the symbol of whether (there is still) ... freedom of speech in Hong Kong,” he said.
An employee at the university, Morgan Chan, said its removal “doesn’t mean that history will be erased, and removing the pillar doesn’t mean people won’t learn about the history.”
Wang Luyao, a student, had a more mixed reaction.
“To me, because I am from mainland China, perhaps my understanding of the Pillar of Shame is not as deep as the locals or students from Hong Kong and it is not that significant to me,” Wang said.
“For me, it’s like a landmark which provides an approach to understanding. For the University of Hong Kong, it should also be considered a landmark.”
UK government rules out new restrictions before Christmas
The British government said Thursday it won’t introduce any new coronavirus restrictions until after Christmas, and called early studies on the severity of the omicron variant encouraging.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said two studies suggesting omicron carries a significantly lower risk of hospitalization than the previously dominant delta strain was “encouraging news.” But he said it was “not very clear yet...by how much that risk is reduced.”
The U.K. Health Security Agency is due to publish new data on omicron later Thursday. It follows two studies, from Imperial College London and Scottish researchers, that found patients with omicron were between 20% and 68% less likely to require hospital treatment than those with delta.
Read: UK health boss: COVID-19 rules could tighten by Christmas
Data out of South Africa, where the variant was first detected, have also suggested omicron might be milder there. 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.
Given those factors, the new variant could still overwhelm health systems because of the sheer number of infections. Confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.K., where omicron is now dominant, have surged by almost 60% in a week.
Britain’s Conservative government this month reinstated rules requiring face masks in shops and ordered people to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test before entering nightclubs and other crowded venues in an attempt to slow omicron’s spread.
Officials also urged people to get tested regularly and cut back on socializing. Many in Britain have heeded that advice, leaving entertainment and hospitality businesses reeling at what should be their busiest time of the year.
The government has offered grants and loans to support restaurants, bars, theaters and other venues, but many say it is not enough to stop them going under.
Rules set by the U.K. government apply in England. Other parts of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — have set slightly tighter restrictions, including the closure of nightclubs.
Read: UK Brexit minister quits as new COVID rules spark anger
Javid said the British government would “keep analyzing (the) data, and if we need to do anything more, we will, but nothing more is going to happen before Christmas.”
“Despite the caution that we are all taking, people should enjoy their Christmases with their families and their friends — of course, remain cautious,” he said.
The government is hoping vaccine boosters will provide a bulwark against omicron, as the data suggests, and has set a goal of offering everyone 18 and up a third shot by the end of December.
French kids line up to get vaccine shots as omicron spreads
French schoolchildren clung nervously to their parents as they entered a vast vaccine center west of Paris on Wednesday — then walked excitedly away with a decorated “vaccination diploma,” as France kicked off mass COVID-19 inoculations for children age 5 to 11.
It's not a moment too soon for the French government, which is facing the highest recorded infection rates since the pandemic began but trying to avoid a new lockdown.
The health minister said Wednesday that the swiftly-spreading omicron variant is expected to be dominant in France by next week, but ruled out additional restrictions on public life for now. Officials are hoping that a surge in vaccinations will be enough to limit the mounting pressure on hospitals, where COVID-19 patients occupy more than 60% of beds.
Read: Biden tries COVID cajoling, avoids new decrees that divide
At a "vaccinodrome" in the Paris suburb of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, children lined up for first-day jabs Wednesday wearing masks adorned with puppies, flowers or Marvel superheros.
One worked out his nerves by rolling his toy car on any surface he could find. Another played games on his mom’s phone. Eight-year-old Alvin Yin cried, while his 9-year-old sister Noemie tried to comfort him.
Dimitri Marck, 8, admitted, “It’s a little weird. I heard about this on TV, and now I'm here." But he said he's glad to get vaccinated so he can see grandparents for the holidays.
France started vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds with health risks earlier this month and expanded it to all children in that age group Wednesday as part of accelerated vaccination efforts. Children need the consent of at least one parent, and one parent has to be present when they get a shot.
As of early December, more than 1,000 in every 100,000 children in France aged 6-10 were infected with coronavirus, according to government figures. Currently, 145 children are hospitalized for severe illness due to COVID-19 and 27 children are receiving medical treatment in intensive care units, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Wednesday on BFM television.
France registered 72,832 new cases Tuesday and has 16,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19, among the highest numbers in Europe.
In a radio interview Wednesday, Labor Minister Elisabeth Borne asked companies to let employees work remotely wherever possible for at least three if not four days a week. French businesses largely returned to in-person work in 2020.
France has shut down nightclubs and banned New Year’s Eve fireworks and other mass end-of-year celebrations, including concerts.
“It’s an evening sacrificed for a good cause,” Veran said.
But his main message was to urge more vaccination. More than 89% of people 12 and over in France have had two doses, and about a third have had a booster shot.
Read: Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for children?
Hugo, 8, was the last member of his family to get the shot and felt left out. His father, Benoit Chappaz, said they got him vaccinated “not because the government wants us to,” but for their family's peace of mind and for general public health.
Nearby, American-born Evan, 7, squirmed in his chair. His great-uncle died with COVID-19, and his family knows several people who have been hospitalized with the virus.
Asked how he would face the injection, he said, “I’m going to scream. And then maybe if Mommy agrees, I can get an ice cream or something sweet, because I got a vaccine.”
As the doctor glided the needle into his arm, Evan didn't scream. Instead, he wrapped himself around his mother and buried his head in her jacket.
Then as he left, he proudly held up his “diplome de vaccination.”
Biden tries COVID cajoling, avoids new decrees that divide
President Joe Biden’s message to the American people on confronting omicron comes with a heavy dose of cajoling, while some other countries are issuing edicts to their citizens as the new coronavirus variant takes over with breathtaking speed.
America's polarized reaction to vaccines and masks, and its system of government in which states have broad authority over health matters, limit some of the options Biden can exercise — at least without igniting political flareups that could distract from the urgency of his message.
“What we have learned is politics matters,” said Jen Kates, who directs global health work for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “You would have expected us to weather the storm, and we haven’t.”
“We are a big country, we are a complex country, and on every issue partisans are divided,” she said. “That, coupled with local control, and we end up with a disjointed response.”
In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex has banned public concerts and fireworks displays at New Year’s celebrations while calling on people to avoid large gatherings and limit the number of family members coming together for Christmas.
Read:Biden to urge Americans to get vaccinated as Christmas nears
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal government is advising citizens not to travel, backing that with a stiff warning that if they test positive abroad they won’t be able to get on a flight to return, and could be stranded.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and state governors agreed on restrictions to take effect before the new year, including limiting private gatherings to 10 people, closing nightclubs nationwide and holding large events like soccer matches without in-person audiences.
In the U.S., Biden has not issued fresh travel warnings nor urged the cancellation of public events. He stands by his workplace vaccine mandate, which is caught up in litigation. But he has held back from actions such as a vaccination requirement for air travel, which some public health experts have called for.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, the president seemed to be taking pains to try to connect with viewers on TV. He avoided a catchphrase that he and other members of his administration have often used __ “pandemic of the unvaccinated” __ and instead tried to appeal to vaccine refusers as fellow Americans.
“I, honest to God, believe it’s your patriotic duty,” Biden said, urging the unvaccinated to get their shots.
He even invoked his Republican predecessor. “Just the other day, former President (Donald) Trump announced he had gotten his booster shot,” Biden said. “It may be one of the few things he and I agree on.”
To vaccinated Americans, the president's message was a flashing yellow light to use caution and common sense as they go ahead with their holiday plans. To the unvaccinated, it was meant as a flashing red light to pause, take a good look, and reconsider their stance.
“You have an obligation to yourselves, to your family,” said Biden.
“Get vaccinated now,” he pleaded. “It’s free. It’s convenient. I promise you, it saves lives.”
But it's unclear what, if anything, will persuade some 40 million U.S. adults who remain unvaccinated.
Read:Biden visiting storm-ravaged Kentucky to offer aid, support
A Kaiser foundation poll out this week found that only about 1 in 8 unvaccinated adults said the emergence of omicron has made them more likely to get a shot.
Earlier Kaiser polling highlighted the partisan and ideological splits. A survey last month found that 55% of unvaccinated adults are Republicans or lean to the GOP. That's compared to 16% for the Democrats.
A quarter of all Republicans say they will definitely not get a shot, compared to just 2% of Democrats who say the same.
The U.S. under COVID is like two nations, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He's not sure Biden's message will connect with vaccine refusers.
About two-thirds of Americans understand that vaccines can help them, Hotez said, but about one-fourth to one-third “are living under a rock."
While the White House is trying reach all Americans, “it comes out as very simplistic,” said Hotez.
And Biden's task of messaging is not going to get any less complicated.
As omicron spreads, more vaccinated people are going to become infected because two shots alone do not appear to offer enough protection against getting sick. Even if vaccinated people avoid hospitalization, as the data indicate they generally can, a case of COVID disrupts family life and work routines.
“Because omicron spreads so easily, we’ll see some fully vaccinated people get COVID, potentially in large numbers,” Biden acknowledged. “There will be positive cases in every office, even here in the White House ... among the vaccinated.”
Yet his administration has not changed the definition of “fully vaccinated” from two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to three, as some public health experts have urged. With Johnson & Johnson's single dose vaccine, a booster is also recommended.
The sense of unease among the vaccinated majority of Americans is underscored by news reports of well-known people such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., contracting COVID though fully vaccinated and boosted.
And Wednesday night, Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., a close ally of Biden, announced he has tested positive with a breakthrough infection but has no symptoms. Still, his brush with COVID-19 meant he had to miss his granddaughter's wedding.
“America is in a new phase of this pandemic," Clyburn, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, said in a statement. “No one is immune to this virus. I urge anyone who has not done so to get their vaccines and boosters.”