Live updates: UK rushes to help businesses hurt by omicron

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LONDON — Britain has announced 1 cardinal pounds ($1.3 billion) successful grants and loans to assistance the hospitality manufacture past the onslaught of the omicron variant, bowing to days of unit from pubs, restaurants and different businesses that person seen their income plunge pursuing nationalist wellness warnings.

Businesses successful the hospitality and leisure sectors successful England volition beryllium eligible for one-time grants of up to 6,000 pounds ($7,900) each. An further 100 cardinal pounds ($132 million) volition beryllium fixed to section governments to enactment businesses successful their areas deed by the abrupt spike successful COVID-19 infections driven by the highly transmissible caller variant.

Pubs and restaurants person reported a question of cancellations during the important Christmas play arsenic radical shun nationalist events and workers are forced to self-isolate, leaving venues abbreviated of staff. Many theaters and museums besides person closed their doors.

“With the surge successful omicron cases, radical are rightly exercising much caution arsenic they spell astir their lives, which is impacting our hospitality, leisure and taste sectors astatine what is typically the busiest clip of the year,’’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. “That’s wherefore we’re taking contiguous action.”

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:

— Biden to urge Americans to get vaccinated arsenic Christmas nears

— Explainer: Boosters cardinal to combat omicron, batch inactive to learn

— Feeling powerless, families bring aged home successful pandemic

— Britain to springiness fiscal enactment to businesses wounded by the omicron surge

— German subject gives infirmary an edge successful treating COVID-19 patients

Go to https://APNews.com/coronavirus-pandemic for updates passim the day.

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY:

MIAMI — Omicron has overtaken the delta variant successful Miami-Dade County arsenic the ascendant strain of the coronavirus successful a substance of weeks, according to genomic surveillance data.

Genetic sequencing of the microorganism showed omicron grew from a tiny fraction of hundreds of samples taken the archetypal week of December to astir 3 of each 4 samples taken past week.

“It is perfectly astonishing however contagious this variant has proven to be,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told the Miami Herald.

The region contracts with NOMI Health to behaviour testing, vaccination and sequencing. The institution recovered that 76% of 504 COVID-19 samples taken Dec. 14-15 were the omicron variant. That compared to 64% of 378 samples collected Dec. 10-13, and 1.3% of the 373 samples collected Dec. 1-5, region records showed.

The variant is besides sweeping the nation, accounting for 73% of caller infections past week, national wellness officials said.

The region is besides seeing a spike successful affirmative COVID-19 cases, which basal astatine 10% aft dropping to astir 1% a period ago, according to data.

“It’s connected america to support ourselves and inactive the astir important happening we tin bash is vaccinate,” the politician said.

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WASHINGTON — The White House says President Joe Biden had adjacent interaction with a unit subordinate who aboriginal tested affirmative for the coronavirus and is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

Press caput Jen Psaki said successful a connection Monday nighttime that the unit subordinate tested affirmative earlier successful the day. Psaki says the unit subordinate spent astir 30 minutes astir the president connected Air Force One connected Friday during a travel from Orange, South Carolina, to Philadelphia.

Psaki says the unit subordinate is afloat vaccinated and boosted and tested antagonistic earlier boarding Air Force One. She says the staffer began experiencing symptoms Sunday night.

Psaki says the 79-year-old Biden is tested regularly for the microorganism and has had 2 antagonistic tests since Sunday. She says helium volition beryllium tested again Wednesday.

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BRUSSELS — The European Union’s enforcement announced Tuesday that its COVID-19 passport indispensable stay valid for intra-EU question for 9 months aft afloat vaccination. The regularisation takes effect connected Feb. 1.

The announcement came lone days aft past week’s E acme stressed the value of coordinated enactment to debar a confusing cacophony of rules successful the bloc's 27 subordinate states, and guarantee that COVID-19 certificates proceed to warrant unrestricted travel.

“A harmonized validity play for EU Digital COVID certificate is simply a necessity for harmless escaped question and EU level coordination,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

If subordinate states could each enforce their ain deadlines, it would sharply hamper question wrong the bloc.

The nine-month people had already garnered wide backing astatine a caller acme but inactive needed to beryllium legally backed by the EU Commission.

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BERLIN — Germany’s autarkic vaccine advisory sheet is recommending boosters starting from 3 months aft radical are afloat vaccinated.

Tuesday’s proposal is effectual instantly and is simply a alteration from the erstwhile telephone for booster shots aft a minimum six months.

Some German regions and facilities already had declared radical eligible for boosters aft 5 oregon adjacent 4 months.

The proposal comes arsenic Germany anticipates a steep emergence successful infections arsenic a effect of the caller highly contagious omicron variant.

Also connected Tuesday, regulators successful neighboring Switzerland recommended boosters aft 4 alternatively than six months.

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MILAN — Police successful Sicily person arrested 3 radical for allegedly helping fake vaccinations for astir 400 euros ($450) a piece, allowing radical opposed to getting inoculated to get a wellness pass.

The suspects see a caregiver who pretended to administer the vaccines and the person of an anti-vaccination question successful Palermo. Video supplied by authorities showed the caregiver emptying the syringe into gauze earlier injecting the needle into radical paying for the fake certificate.

Authorities person confirmed astir a twelve faked vaccinations, but fishy that galore much are circulating. Confirmation of a vaccination allows radical to get a wellness walk to entree places of employment, arsenic good arsenic indoor dining, theaters, museums and different leisure activities.

Sicily has the highest percent of unvaccinated radical of immoderate Italian region, astatine astir 23%. Nationwide, conscionable nether 17% of Italy's colonisation is not vaccinated.

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BARCELONA, Spain — Catalonia is preparing to go the archetypal Spanish portion to reinstate superior limitations fixed the latest spike successful infections successful a state that is among the satellite leaders successful vaccination.

Health authorities person asked the courts to authorize a artillery of measures including a caller nightly curfew from 1-6 a.m., a bounds of 10 radical per societal gathering, the closure of nighttime clubs, and capping restaurants astatine 50% of seating indoors and stores, gyms and theaters to 70% capacity.

If approved by the courts, they would instrumentality effect connected Friday and past for 15 days successful the northeast portion surrounding Barcelona.

Regional wellness main Josep Argimon said that the measures are needed due to the fact that of the accomplishment of the much contagious omicron variant. “Infections person grown 100% implicit the past week,” helium said.

Spain’s premier curate is gathering via video with the heads of Spain’s regions connected Wednesday to sermon caller measures for the state that has seen cases rapidly expanding contempt having fixed 2 doses of vaccines to implicit 80% of its full colonisation of 47 million.

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HOUSTON — An unvaccinated antheral with wellness issues has go the archetypal idiosyncratic successful the Houston country whose decease has been linked to COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced the decease of the antheral successful his 50s during a quality league Monday.

One Houston infirmary strategy has reported the omicron variant is accounting for 82% of caller COVID-19 cases it is treating.

The aesculapian manager of diagnostic microbiology astatine Houston Methodist Hospital said successful a tweet Sunday that the omicron variant became the “cause of the supermajority” of caller Houston Methodist cases successful little than 3 weeks. In comparison, the delta variant took 3 months during the summertime earlier it was the origin of much than 80% of cases.

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ATLANTA -- The fig of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen astir 50% successful Georgia successful the past month, and the fig of infections detected continues to accelerate.

More than 1,200 patients were hospitalized statewide Monday with the respiratory illness. That’s good beneath the grounds of astir 6,000 that was reached successful aboriginal September astatine the highest of Georgia’s 4th surge of microorganism cases. But it is good supra the caller debased of 824 patients recorded connected Nov. 22.

Among those who person tested affirmative for the microorganism is Atlanta-mayor elite Andre Dickens, who has enactment himself successful self-isolation though helium reports feeling good with mild symptoms. Dickens, says helium is afloat vaccinated.

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EUGENE, Ore. — As the highly transmissible omicron variant spreads crossed the country, University of Oregon students, module and unit volition beryllium required to get a coronavirus booster changeable arsenic soon arsenic they are eligible.

Currently the assemblage and the state’s six different nationalist universities necessitate vaccinations for those connected campus.

As of Monday afternoon, the University of Oregon is the lone nationalist assemblage successful the authorities to publically denote a booster requirement.

University President Michael Schill says successful a missive posted online that “boosters are the adjacent measurement successful the evolving nationalist wellness strategy successful which we person adapted and responded arsenic a assemblage during the pandemic,”

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RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s politician has issued his strongest nationalist wellness informing yet heading into the Christmas holidays.

Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday that officials expect the omicron variant of the coronavirus to soon severely strain hospitals and pb to the highest regular lawsuit counts since the pandemic deed the authorities successful March 2020.

Cooper besides says helium volition not reimpose immoderate statewide mandates oregon rotation retired immoderate fiscal inducements for residents to get a booster changeable of coronavirus vaccine. In spot of mandates, North Carolina volition trust connected further resources for at-home trial and an informational run to promote the astir 62% of vaccinated residents to get a booster shot.

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BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana is starting to spot increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases months aft emerging from a 4th surge of the coronavirus outbreak, with the authorities astatine hazard of different spike arsenic the omicron variant spreads.

Data released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Health shows the fig of caller coronavirus cases reached much than 2,300 since Friday — and much than 4,800 implicit the past week. That’s much than treble the magnitude of caller cases from the anterior week.

And the wellness section warned those numbers are expected to balloon arsenic dozens of cases of the fast-spreading omicron variant person been confirmed successful Louisiana.

Still, the fig of radical hospitalized successful Louisiana with COVID-19 remains debased truthful far, reported astatine 241 patients Monday. That continues to beryllium among the lowest fig of COVID-19 hospitalizations since March 2020 and good beneath the state’s highest of much than 3,000 successful August.

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NEW YORK — “Hamilton” and “Aladdin,” 2 of Broadway’s biggest musicals, are shuttering their doors during the engaged Christmas week aft uncovering breakthrough COVID-19 cases successful their companies.

All matinee and evening performances of “Aladdin” from Tuesday done Friday were canceled. Performances are scheduled to resume Sunday. “Aladdin” had antecedently canceled its Dec. 19 performance.

“Hamilton” canceled shows connected Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and performances are scheduled to resume Dec. 27. The accumulation had antecedently canceled its Dec. 17 done Dec. 19 performances, arsenic good arsenic its Dec. 15 amusement owed to the detection of affirmative results.

The 2 deed shows articulation “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “MJ” and “Ain’t Too Proud,” among others, successful announcing multi-day cancellations owed to the virus. Shows often adhd performances astir Christmas week and the holidays are usually the astir lucrative shows of the year.

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MISSION, Kan. — Rural Kansas hospitals are struggling to transportation patients arsenic COVID-19 numbers surge, with immoderate patients near stranded successful exigency rooms for a week portion they hold for a bed.

Space besides was successful abbreviated proviso past wintertime and again implicit the summertime erstwhile the delta variant archetypal deed the state. The concern improved somewhat this fall, but according to Motient, a institution contracting with Kansas to assistance negociate transfers, the concern present is worsening again.

And it isn’t conscionable agrarian hospitals looking for beds. Overwhelmed hospitals arsenic acold distant arsenic Minnesota and Michigan person been calling looking for beds successful larger Kansas hospitals. Often determination simply isn’t room.

Dr. Richard Watson, laminitis of Motient, said Friday that the long-distance transfers and agelong waits for beds are sadly becoming commonplace arsenic the pandemic ends its 2nd year.

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