Omicron has become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the US, accounting for over 73 percent of new weekly cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) latest estimates.
In the week ending 4 December, Omicron only accounted for 0.7 percent of all the cases.
The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly nationwide and has been found in at least 48 states till date, since the first case in the country was detected in California on 1 December.
The unprecedented infectiousness of the Omicron variant and its possible ability to evade the immune system have stoked concerns across the nation.
However, experts said preliminary data suggest the new variant appear to cause less severe symptoms and hospitalisations.
Some colleges have shifted back to online classes and exams for the rest of the semester to make students go back home earlier.
The country is averaging about 130,000 new cases daily, a 10 percent increase from the previous week, according to the CDC estimates.
The seven-day average of daily deaths is about 1,180, up 8.2 percent from the prior week, it said.
Currently, the US is witnessing about 7,800 new hospital admissions each day, a 4.4 percent increase from the previous week, the data showed
However, the surge in new infection cases did not deter people from flying for holidays. The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has screened over two million passengers for a fourth day in a row.
The TSA expected up to 21 million Americans will fly between Thursday and 3 January, 2022.
Experts warned the US is moving toward Christmas in dramatically different shape than it was before Thanksgiving.
The two tallies are the highest in the world, making the US the worst-hit country by the global heath crisis.
(This story was published from a syndicated feed. Only the headline and picture has been edited by FIT.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
Published: undefined