The coronavirus situation is worsening dramatically around the world, with the daily number of infections hitting record highs in the United States, India, Israel and Australia, adding to pressure on health services.
Gripped by the pandemic for two years, the United States continues to experience the devastating consequences of the disease, continually breaking its previous records and remaining the country most affected by COVID-19. The United States has reported nearly 1 million new cases, the highest daily rate of any country in the world.
The number of hospitalized patients has grown by almost 50% in the past week and now surpasses 100,000, according to data compiled by Reuters, the first to hit that threshold in a year.
The latest spike, which has sparked a spate of commercial cancellations of Broadway shows in recent weeks, has disrupted public schools' plans to welcome students back from winter break.
Israel has also recorded its highest-ever number of new coronavirus infections – driven by the ultra-contagious omicron variant – despite restrictions on travel and required quarantines, the government reported on Wednesday. The record of 11,978 cases diagnosed on Tuesday marks the most new infections reported in a single day since the start of the pandemic. The previous record was set on Sept. 2 with 11,345 new infections logged during the delta variant's wave.
Omicron, first detected in South Africa, is apparently more contagious but causes fewer cases of severe illness and death – especially among vaccinated people.
In Israel as elsewhere, the variant is spreading so fast – straining testing, schools, hospitals and airlines – that some experts are urging a focus instead on hospital admissions. Those, as well as deaths from the coronavirus, aren't climbing as quickly – the result, experts say, of protections offered by vaccinations.
The rapid climb in infections has pushed Israeli leaders far from the clear protocol of vaccinations, testing, quarantining and contact tracing that characterized the government's response early in the pandemic. The country's speedy vaccination early on made Israel a world leader.
Now, Israel is believed to be the first country to offer a fourth vaccination to people 60 and older, as well as those with compromised immune systems. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday said early results from a study at Sheba Medical Center showed a nearly fivefold increase in antibodies among people with a fourth jab, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Israel is rapidly changing rules and practices to adapt, including scaling back quarantines to keep the economy from shutting down. More changes are expected. The demand for testing, for example, is likely to prompt the government to focus tests on high-risk groups, such as older people.
Despite record numbers of infections, Israel opened to tourists for the first time in nearly two years. After just a month, it slammed shut. The country will once again crack open – but only to travelers from certain countries.
Meanwhile, regional governments in India are boosting testing and hospital facilities as the country reported a massive 55% daily spike in COVID-19 infections Wednesday with 58,097 new cases, double what it reported just four days ago.
The governments of Delhi and Karnataka announced restrictions on all movement over the weekend, except essential goods and services, hoping to keep people at home and restrain the rapid rise in infections that experts believe has been brought on by the omicron variant.
Officially the number of omicron cases is 2,135 but with limited capacity for genome sequencing, the actual numbers are estimated to be much higher.
Mumbai and Delhi reported the largest number of omicron cases, according to a Health Ministry update. Travel and the opening of shops and establishments at night have been restricted in several states.
In the city of Kolkata, which has reported one of the highest positivity rates, many residents had to wait for two days to get a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, considered the most reliable test in India.
The opposition Indian National Congress party has put on hold all election rallies and door-to-door campaigns in Uttar Pradesh, one of the five states scheduled to go to the hustings soon. The rallies by political parties are being held despite the surge in COVID-19 cases.
India faced a virulent second wave of infections driven by the delta variant between April and June that overwhelmed the health infrastructure and left tens of thousands dead.
Australia, once famous for its success in the fight against the virus, reported 64,758 new cases on Wednesday, most of them in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria.
For days, the authorities have been recording new record figures. By way of comparison, at the end of November, the figures were still between 1,000 and 1,500 new infections per day. Particularly affected are the most populous states of NSW with Sydney and Victoria with Melbourne, the country's two largest cities.
In NSW alone, about 35,000 new cases were reported on Wednesday, after 23,000 on Tuesday. Almost 1,500 people are now in hospital in the east coast region in connection with COVID-19, much to the concern of health authorities.
With around 2,500 hospital staff sent into isolation after coming into contact with the virus, there is a shortage of staff in many places to care for the sick, the Guardian reported.
People admitted to hospitals in NSW and Victoria rose 10% over the previous day, and authorities warned those numbers would rise further over the next several weeks.
"We have got some challenging weeks ahead of us," NSW Deputy Health Secretary Susan Pearce told reporters, including from Reuters.
In some hospitals, desperate measures are already being taken: Nurses have been called back to duty even though they have tested positive for the virus, the newspaper said, citing those affected.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant had recently called on citizens to only go to the hospital if absolutely necessary, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.
A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test should only be done if someone also has symptoms, she advised.
"It is important that we all play our part in not placing unnecessary burden on the health system," she stressed in comments published by AAP.
Australia had long pursued a zero-COVID-19 strategy and closed its national borders to visitors. To contain the pandemic, strict rules had been introduced and regional lockdowns imposed.
The surge of infections triggered places less affected by COVID-19 to announce travel restrictions. Hong Kong authorities announced a two-week ban on flights from the United States and seven other countries and held 2,500 passengers on a cruise ship for coronavirus testing Wednesday as the city attempted to stem an emerging omicron outbreak.
The two-week ban on passenger flights from Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain and the United States will take effect Sunday and continue until Jan. 21.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam also announced that restaurant dining will be forbidden after 6 p.m. for two weeks starting Friday. Game arcades, bars and beauty salons must also close during that period.
"We have to contain the pandemic to ensure that there will not be a major outbreak in the community again," Lam said at a news conference, adding that the city is "on the verge" of another surge.
The measures came as new omicron clusters have emerged over the past week, many linked to several Cathay Pacific crew members who broke isolation rules and dined at restaurants and bars in the city before testing positive.
Hong Kong has reported 114 omicron variant cases as of Tuesday, with most being imported. On Tuesday, it reported its first untraceable case in nearly three months, which authorities said was likely caused by the omicron variant.
Hong Kong officials have moved swiftly to block the spread of the variant, locking down residential buildings where people have tested positive and mass-testing thousands of people.
That includes about 2,500 passengers who were being held Wednesday on a cruise ship in Hong Kong for coronavirus tests after health authorities said nine passengers were linked to an omicron cluster and ordered the ship to turn back.
Authorities forced the Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas ship, which departed Sunday on a "cruise to nowhere," to return a day early on Wednesday, according to a government statement.
The ship returned to Hong Kong on Wednesday morning, and passengers were being held onboard while they awaited testing.
Royal Caribbean said in a statement that the nine guests were immediately isolated and all tested negative, and that the company was working closely with authorities to comply with epidemic prevention policies and regulations.
It said guests who were on the affected ship would receive a 25% refund on their cruise fare. The ship's next voyage on Thursday was also canceled because the crew must undergo testing, and those guests will receive a full refund.
The city has reported a total of 12,690 confirmed coronavirus infections as of Tuesday, including 213 deaths.
