U.S. reports 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in one day, shattering global record – More than 65,000 L.A. students and employees test positive as school resumes – U.S. breaks COVID-19 hospitalization record
By Lisa Shumaker
11 January 2022
(Reuters) – The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.
The previous record was 1.03 million cases on Jan. 3. A large number of cases are reported each Monday due to many states not reporting over the weekend. The seven-day average for new cases has tripled in two weeks to over 700,000 new infections a day.
The record in new cases came the same day as the nation saw the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients also hit an all-time high, having doubled in three weeks, according to a Reuters tally.
There were more than 136,604 people hospitalized with COVID-19, surpassing the record of 132,051 set in January last year.
While the Omicron variant is potentially less severe, health officials have warned that the sheer number of infections could strain hospital systems, some of which have already suspended elective procedures as they struggle to handle the increase in patients and staff shortages.
The surge in cases has disrupted schools, which are struggling with absences of staff, teachers and bus drivers.
Chicago canceled classes for a fourth day as the district and teachers failed to agree on how to deal with increased infections.
New York City suspended service on three subway lines as a large number of workers were out sick, according to its Twitter account. Companies’ plans for workers to return to office have also been derailed.
Deaths are averaging 1,700 per day, up from about 1,400 in recent days but within levels seen earlier this winter. [more]
U.S. reports 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in a day, shattering global record
More than 65,000 Los Angeles students and employees test positive for COVID-19 as school resumes
By Li Cohen
11 January 2022
(CBS News) – Thousands of students and staff members in the Los Angeles Unified School District are set to miss the first day of the spring semester on Tuesday as the COVID-19 Omicron variant continues to surge across the nation. The district announced that as of 4 p.m. on Monday, 65,630 students and staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in the week before school.
Omicron has created the largest spike in cases yet since the pandemic began at the beginning of 2020. The stark increase in cases began at the beginning of December, and as of January 9, the nation has a daily average of more than 674,000 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making up more than 95% of all COVID-19 cases in the country. On January 9, Los Angeles County reported more than 43,500 new cases.
The school district had updated its guidelines for the return to school on Friday in light of the surge. All students and employees had to get tested for COVID-19, regardless of their vaccination status, between January 3 and January 10, and have to prove a negative result to go to school.
Families were allowed to use external PCR or antigen tests, or conduct at-home tests for students to be allowed at school.
The district said that 424,230 students and employees took a baseline test prior to the start of the semester. As of Monday afternoon, the student positivity rate for COVID-19 cases is at 16.6% while the employee rate stands at 14.9%. There are an estimated 574,570 students enrolled in the district, including adult and pre-kindergarten education, and more than 73,800 employees. […]
From January 1 to January 7, there was an average of 839 children aged 17 and younger hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the CDC, a more than 33.5% increase from the week prior. Children in that demographic had the highest average increase in hospitalizations out of almost any other age demographic, aside from those 70 and older. [more]
More than 65,000 Los Angeles students and employees test positive for COVID-19 as school resumes
U.S. breaks COVID-19 hospitalization record at over 132,000 as Omicron surges
By Maria Caspani and Lisa Shumaker
10 January 2022
(Reuters) – COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States reached a record high on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, as a surge in infections caused by the highly contagious Omicron variant strains health systems in several states.
There were 132,646 people hospitalized with COVID, surpassing the record of 132,051 set in January last year.
Hospitalizations have increased steadily since late December, doubling in the last three weeks, as Omicron quickly overtook Delta as the dominant version of the virus in the United States.
Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin have reported record levels of hospitalized COVID-19 patients recently, according to the Reuters analysis.
While potentially less severe, health officials have warned that the sheer number of infections caused by the Omicron variant could strain the hospital systems, some of which have already suspended elective procedures as they struggle to handle the surge of patients amid staff shortages.
The seven-day average for new cases has doubled in the last 10 days to 704,000. The United States has averaged over a half a million cases for the last six consecutive days, according to a Reuters tally.
Only seven states have not set records for COVID-19 cases in 2022 – Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio and Wyoming, according to a Reuters tally. [more]
U.S. breaks COVID-19 hospitalization record at over 132,000 as Omicron surges
