COVID-19 stole Christmas. Cases are surging from both the Deta Variant and now Omicron which is 70% more transmissible. Omicron has now been confirmed in 46 states and is likely in all 50. 38% of Americans are still not fully vaccinated leaving plenty of fuel for the virus to burn through.
Royal Caribbean cruise line has just reported 48 cases of COVID-19 on a ship docked in Miami. The Rockettes in New York City have canceled their season spectacular show due to infections among the cast. Sports teams are being forced to cancel games. It is feeling like March of 2020 all over again. You might thing the earth had stood still.
In Florida cases are doubling every 36 hours. Despite this massive crush of infections many Americans are on the move returning to families where the virus can spread. Only 8 states have indoor mask mandates. Holiday travel will result in more cases and deaths. Patients in hospitals are still dying alone as they gasp for their last breaths.
The Netherlands on December 19, 2021 began an “unavoidable” lockdown that will last through Christmas to help tackle a COVID-19 surge caused by the emergence of the Omicron variant. It is closing most schools and daycare facilities. Spectators are banned from sporting events. Only 2 guests are allowed at any holiday gathering. Italy is planning to make masks mandatory outdoors. Germany has locked down its borders. Denmark, where cases are doubling every two days, is shutting down theaters and museums. Bars are closing early. That is how you know it has gotten bad.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is considering urging the public to limit household mixing at Christmas, the Telegraph reported on December 19, 2021. He is however wavering and will likely wait until after Christmas because he fears the reaction of his countrymen. In December 2020 he instated lockdowns so strict in parts of England that indoor meetings with people from other households were forbidden. Back then few dozen of the prime minister’s staffers reportedly hosted a festive gathering at 10 Downing Street. This has undermined anyone taking any lockdown he considers as two faced. Britain’s health secretary, Sajid Javid, has refused to rule out imposing tougher COVID-19 restrictions before Christmas amid the rapid rise of infections and continuing uncertainty about the omicron variant.
On December 21, 2021 President Joe Biden will address the thread of Omicron in a public address. For now however, most Americans going about life as if the pandemic were a thing of the past.