Six states set daily COVID records as Omicron grips nation: Variant sweeps across US and is now confirmed in 44 states. NY is hammered by highest number of daily cases ever
The number of confirmed Omicron cases in the U.S. has nearly doubled in a period of 24 hours, and six Northeastern states saw a record number of daily COVID cases this week as the variant is now confirmed in 44 states, with New York hit the hardest.
As of Saturday morning, there were 830 cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant confirmed by DNA sequencing across the country, a 97 percent increase from Friday morning's tally.
In reality, the true number of Omicron cases is much higher, as only 1 to 2 percent of all cases are sequenced for variant markers, but the testing data shows a disturbing national trend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that Omicron accounts for at least 13 percent of all new cases in New York, which on Saturday recorded its highest ever single-day tally of new COVID-19 cases at 21,908, breaking the prior record of 21,027 set just one day earlier.
'The winter COVID-19 surge is here,' warned New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, urging everyone to get vaccinated and boosted.
Though New York's hospitalizations, which tend to lag new cases, remain below their peaks, they have climbed 25 percent in the past two weeks, straining the state's health care system.
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island also recorded record high daily cases this week.
Testing has now confirmed the presence of Omicron in every U.S. state except for Oklahoma, Montana, North and South Dakota, Indiana and Vermont, though the eventual confirmation of the highly transmissible variant in every state now seems assured.
People line up outside the Barclays Center for COVID-19 testing on Saturday as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Brooklyn, New York City
A huge line forms at the Barclays Center Saturday as demand for COVID testing soars in New York City
The Northeast has been particularly hit hard by COVID as Connecticut saw cases rising to the height of last year's winter as the state confirmed 3,229 cases on Thursday.
Maine also saw cases soar to 1,331 on Friday, and Massachusetts confirmed 7,176 cases on Thursday.
New Hampshire also saw a record level of daily COVID cases on Thursday, confirming 1,720 cases, and Rhode Island confirmed 1,406 cases on Thursday.
The spread of the variant, which appears highly transmissible and able to evade immune response from vaccination or prior infection, has already pushed Europe to the brink of new lockdowns.
Dutch health experts are advising the Netherlands to impose a hard national lockdown before Christmas, and the country is expected to close all but essential stores from Sunday, sending panicked shoppers flocking to round up last-minute gifts before the restrictions descend.
As case numbers escalated, alarmed ministers in France, and Austria tightened travel restrictions. Paris cancelled its New Year's Eve fireworks.
Denmark closed theaters, concert halls, amusement parks and museums. Ireland imposed an 8pm curfew on pubs and bars and limited attendance at indoor and outdoor events.
However in New York, outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio remains intent on holding his New Year's Eve celebration at full capacity in Times Square. The party will mark the end of his eight-year reign, which expires on January 1.
De Blasio, like Governor Hochul, insisted on Friday that vaccination and precaution is the best way to combat the city's COVID-19 surge.
'No, no, no,' de Blasio told WNYC on Friday when asked about possible shutdowns of public schools and other activities.
'Don't fight yesterday's war,' he added. 'This is not March of 2020. We're one of the most highly vaccinated places in the United States of America.'
'The more we vaccinate, the more we can get through this,' de Blasio said. Another lockdown 'would really destroy, in so many ways, people's livelihoods and it would, I think, after everything people have been through — it would be traumatizing.'
New York City's outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio remains intent on holding his New Year's Eve celebration at full capacity in Times Square, and vows not to follow Europe in a return to lockdowns
People line up to await the opening of a CityMD health clinic as the Omicron coronavirus variant continues to spread in Manhattan, New York City on Saturday
Lines of people wait on Friday to get tested in New York's Times Square, where demand for the tests get bigger every day due to a sweeping COVID-19 surge that is battering the Northeast
Hospitalizations have been rising in New York City as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly
The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
Omicron is spreading rapidly in countries with high levels of population immunity, but it is unclear if this is due to the virus' ability to evade immunity, its inherent increased transmissibility or a combination of both, the WHO said in an update.
The agency designated Omicron a variant of concern on Nov. 26, soon after it was first detected, and much is still not known about it, including the severity of the illness it causes.
'There are still limited data on the clinical severity of Omicron,' the WHO said. 'More data are needed to understand the severity profile and how severity is impacted by vaccination and pre-existing immunity.'
It added, 'There are still limited available data, and no peer-reviewed evidence, on vaccine efficacy or effectiveness to date for Omicron'.
The WHO warned that with cases rising so rapidly, hospitals could be overwhelmed in some places.
'Hospitalizations in the UK and South Africa continue to rise, and given rapidly increasing case counts, it is possible that many healthcare systems may become quickly overwhelmed.'
In the US, highly vaccinated states in the northeast seem to be struggling the most at the moment, as cold weather, waning vaccine immunity and the new variant all contribute to a new case surge.
In Connecticut, 74 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, one of the highest rates in America. The state has also seen its COVID situation spiral out of control in recent weeks. New cases are up 162 percent over the past two weeks, with 72 out of every 100,000 residents testing positive for the virus every day.
Rhode Island currently has the highest COVID rate in America, with 99 out of every 100,000 residents testing positive for the virus every day - up 63 percent over the past two weeks. It is also the second most vaccinated state in America with 75 percent residents fully jabbed.
The most vaccinated state in America is Vermont, where 76 percent of residents are fully immunized. The state is experiencing a surge of its own still, though, with 69 out of every 100,000 residents being infected everyday.
To credit the vaccine, though, deaths in all three states have remained low despite recent case surges.
Other nearby states like Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, all with more than 70 percent of their populations fully vaccinated, are dealing with cases surges as well.
'I think the only thing that it can come down to is behaviors and waning immunity,' Dr Chris Thompson, an infectious disease expert at Loyola University of Maryland, told DailyMail.com about the increasing rate of infections in highly vaccinated states.
'So the boosters will help to overcome the waning immunity and it's up to us to become vigilant about those behaviors of handwashing, masking, social distancing, testing, vaccinations and those sorts of things.
'[There are] also colder temperatures up there, so people are probably gathered together more indoors again, and that gathering can can lead to easier spread, especially with Omicron.'
New York and New Jersey have become early Omicron hubs. According to CDC data, the new strain accounts for around 13 percent of sequenced cases in those states.
Cases in New York have increased by 75 percent over the past two weeks, and the state is also among the nation's leaders in Omicron cases sequenced, with 59 confirmed in the state.
No comments