There's A Wave Of Omicron Variants, Over 4,500 Christmas Weekend Flights Worldwide Canceled

Airport illustration. (Unsplash/Nick Fewings)

JAKARTA - Commercial airlines worldwide canceled more than 4,500 flights over the Christmas weekend, as the rising wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant, created greater uncertainty and misery for holiday travelers.

Airlines globally canceled at least 2,401 flights on Friday, which falls on Christmas Eve and is usually a busy day for air travel, according to a running tally on flight tracking site FlightAware.com, citing Reuters Dec. 25.

Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 more flights were delayed. The website also shows 1,779 Christmas Day flights were canceled worldwide, along with another 402 that had been scheduled for Sunday.

Commercial air traffic in the United States into or out of the country accounted for more than a quarter of all flights canceled over the weekend, FlightAware data shows.

Among the first US carriers to report a wave of holiday weekend cancellations were United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, which scrapped nearly 280 combined flights on Friday alone, citing personnel shortages amid a spike in COVID-19 infections.

Airport illustration. (Unsplash/Chuttersnap)

COVID-19 infections have surged in the United States in recent days due to the highly contagious variant of Omicron, which was first detected in November and now accounts for nearly three-quarters of US cases and as much as 90% in some areas, such as the east coast.

The average number of new coronavirus cases in the US has risen 45% to 179,000 per day over the past week, according to a Reuters tally.

New York reported more than 44,000 newly confirmed infections on Friday alone, breaking the state's daily record. Meanwhile, at least 10 other states recorded new one-day case records on Thursday or Friday.

Rising hospitalizations are hitting the healthcare system, particularly in the US Midwest, with intensive care units in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan bracing for the worst even as they remain under pressure from previous waves of Delta variant cases.

In Britain, many industries and transport networks are struggling with staff shortages as sick workers are self-isolating, while hospitals have warned of the risk of impact on patient safety.

One in 20 Londoners had COVID-19 last week, a figure that could rise to one in 10 as early as next week, according to data released on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics.

Government data showed a record tally of 122,186 new infections nationwide on Friday, marking the third day in which the number of known cases has surpassed 100,000.

While recent research suggests the Omicron variant results in milder illness, and lower hospitalization rates, than previous COVID-19 variants, health officials have maintained a cautious note about the outlook.

"There is a glimmer of hope for Christmas, but it's definitely not at a point where we can scale down that serious threat," Jenny Harries, head of the UK's Health Security Service, told the BBC.

Separately, France recorded another record COVID-19 infection on Friday, with its daily tally exceeding 94,000 while hospitalizations for the virus hit a seven-month high, prompting the government to convene a special meeting for Monday that could trigger new public health restrictions.

Illustration of an airline aircraft fleet. (Wikimedia Commons/SounderBruce)

Despite the uncertainty and gloomy news around the world, millions of Americans are continuing to plan their way through the second pandemic-ridden holiday season.

Moses Jimenez, an accountant from Long Beach, Mississippi, flew to New York with his wife and three children, although the latest stream of coronavirus cases dashed their hopes of seeing the Broadway show 'Hamilton' or visiting some museums.

'Hamilton' is one of a dozen productions canceling shows this week because the cast and crew tested positive for COVID-19. The museum was dropped from the family's itinerary as many now required proof of vaccination and two younger children were ineligible for pictures.

In contrast, Jimenez, 33, said his children would do their best to explore the city's streets and parks, while also seeing relatives and friends.

"We just wanted to get out of the house, really, bring the kids into town for Christmas," Jimenez told Reuters Thursday at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

New York plans to sharply limit the number of people allowed in Times Square for its annual outdoor New Year's Eve celebrations, in response to a spike in new coronavirus cases, capping the number of attendees to 15,000.

To note, President Biden's administration will next week lift travel restrictions in eight south African countries that were imposed last month over concerns about the Omicron variant, the White House said.