January 10 coronavirus pandemic and Omicron variant news

Restaurants and bars in India’s capital Delhi will shut as the country grapples with a steep rise in Covid-19 cases amid the emergence of the Omicron variant.

The decision was made by Delhi government officials following a meeting on Monday.

Restaurants and bars will only be allowed to offer takeaway orders, according to Anil Baijal, the lieutenant governor of the national capital region of Delhi who represents the federal government. 

In addition, restrictions have been imposed on weekly markets with regional officers advised to ensure members of the public wear protective face coverings and follow social distancing guidelines, Baijal said in a statement posted on Twitter.

On Monday, Delhi reported at least 19,166 new cases of Covid-19 with the positivity rate currently at 25%, according to the Delhi Health Department.

More than 44,000 people who have tested positive are in home isolation while around 2,600 have been admitted into hospitals, Covid-19 facilities and community health centers.

Pope Francis lamented the misinformation and politicization of vaccines and called for “a sort of ‘reality therapy’ that makes us confront the problem head on.”  

Unfortunately, Francis said, people are influenced by “baseless information or poorly documented facts” which distort reality. 

The Pope said that the vaccines have effectively decreased “severe repercussions” of Covid-19 and efforts to vaccinate the general population should continue.  

Francis reiterated his appeal to the international community to guarantee everyone access to medical care and vaccines. 

“It is appropriate that institutions such as the World trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization adapt their legal instruments lest monopolistic rules constitute further obstacles to production and to an organized and consistent access to health care on a global level,” the Pope said.

US airlines canceled thousands more flights over the weekend and a major cruise ship company canceled four cruises on Friday due to the continued fallout from the fast-moving Omicron wave of coronavirus which is hitting the travel industry hard.

Data from FlightAware shows that airlines canceled another 1,334 flights nationwide on Sunday – that’s on top of tens of thousands of cancellations since Christmas. Southwest Airlines canceled 239 flights, 6 % of its total schedule for Sunday, and delayed another 833 flights. 

Monday cancellation numbers could be rounding a corner after airlines were dealt near back-to-back winter storms last week and continue to struggle with workers calling out sick with coronavirus. FlightAware said airlines have canceled 705 flights as of 7:45 a.m. ET Monday.

On Friday, Royal Caribbean International announced it has canceled voyages on four ships because of "ongoing Covid-related circumstances around the world."

"In abundance of caution, Royal Caribbean International is pausing operations" on some ships, the company said in a statement.

The cruise line said it moved forward with the cancellations despite its health and safety measures, including vaccination and testing requirements for guests and crew.

Earlier last week, Norwegian Cruise Line canceled the voyages of eight ships.

As laboratories struggle to keep up with the increased demand for Covid-19 tests triggered by the surging Omicron variant, at least two US health care providers have prioritized coronavirus testing for those who exhibiting symptoms of the virus.

The University of Washington last week at multiple locations began prioritizing Covid-19 testing solely for those “who have symptoms of respiratory illness or who have a known exposure to COVID-19,” UW Director of Media Relations Susan Gregg told CNN in an email Sunday.

University facilities are not currently testing people without symptoms, including those seeking tests related to travel or gatherings, according to Gregg, “due to the high volume of omicron cases that are being processed in our laboratory.”

Nine UW Covid-19 testing locations are currently open throughout King County, including in Seattle, but Gregg tells CNN that three other university sites run in concert with the city and county have been forced to temporarily close due to “capacity limitations.” 

The University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill is facing a similar testing crush due to the Omicron variant and is also restricting Covid-19 tests to those exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms, as well as university employees, and those requiring a test prior to a surgery, according to UNC Health Director of News Alan M. Wolf.

“We implemented those restrictions because of the surge in demand, and to ensure we have adequate supply,” Wolf told CNN in an email Sunday. “We expect to keep the restrictions in place until the number of cases begins to decrease,” Wolf said.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) informed parents Sunday evening that classes will be canceled again on Monday for the fourth consecutive school day as the district and Chicago Teachers Union failed to reach an agreement over the weekend.

The decision comes as CPS, the third largest school district in the country, canceled classes for more than 340,000 students Wednesday through Friday last week after the Chicago Teachers Union voted Tuesday night to refuse to show up for in-person work, citing concerns over Covid-19 safety