Urging Americans to get booster shots, top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said an additional dose of currently available COVID-19 vaccines work against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and there appears to be no need for variant-specific boosters.
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In Harlem on Wednesday, about two dozen people stood in a queue to enter the City MD clinic on busy 125th Street. A staff member came out just before 4pm to announce there was a two-hour wait, owing in part to efforts to disinfect rooms between patients.
Chris Johnson, a sophomore at Fordham University, said he would wait as long as it takes. “I gotta get a test to take my final tomorrow,” he said.
Students at New Jersey’s Princeton University will take all finals remotely starting on Thursday. The school ordered the cancellation of all indoor gatherings with food, and those where face coverings cannot be worn, effective from Thursday to Jan 7, the university’s dean Jill Dolan said in a statement.
New York University in New York City cancelled all “non-essential” gatherings and events. Provost Katherine Fleming said in a statement on Wednesday that data from a testing program had shown a considerable acceleration in the rate of new cases.
“It’s not a cause for alarm, but it is a cause for concern, caution, and appropriate actions,” she said, adding that the school is strongly encouraging final exams be taken online.
In retailing, Apple temporarily closed three retail stores in Miami, Annapolis and Ottawa after a rise in COVID-19 cases and exposures among employees, the iPhone maker said on Wednesday.
The National Hockey League, already dealing with a backlog of postponed games, was bracing for more headaches as the Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames confirmed players and staff had been forced into COVID-19 protocols.
After the NFL reported a record 37 positive tests on Monday, another 22 players were added to the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday.
The surge continued into Wednesday with ESPN reporting the Washington Football Team added eight players to COVID-19 protocols and the Cleveland Browns placed quarterback Baker Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski on the reserve list.
In the National Basketball Association, Sacramento Kings interim head coach Alvin Gentry tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards.
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