The omicron variant has become a major headache for the people in the United States and even forced some citizens not to celebrate the festival with their loved ones.
Hundreds Of Flights Were Canceled Due To An Increase In Omicron Cases
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released some travel restrictions for domestic travel also and which lead to frustration for many people and aviation companies in the United States.
Now as per the latest news, Thousands of Americans hoping to travel for Christmas celebrations to their homes were left stranded after the majority of flights were canceled due to an increase in Omicron cases and it came as a major setback for the citizens.
Others had difficulty traveling due to extreme weather, which added to the complications. People who had made so many plans to travel during Christmas time all went in vain.
Some major airlines in the US, which include United, Delta, and Alaska, announced that they were forced to cancel hundreds of flights after discovering that the majority of their staff and crew members were infected with the Omicron variant. On Saturday, more than 500 flights got canceled in the US which is not good for airline companies.
Due to a healthcare staff shortage caused by the rising number of COVID cases across the country, The White House administration has decided to shorten the quarantine period to seven days and later to 5 days if tests are negative with symptoms.
After this decision, the demand from the airline industry also raised to cut down the quarantine time for the staff member which is 10 days according to current restrictions. The reason stated by the officials is that it will lead to more shortage of staff in the company.
There is a great impact of the isolation time on the airline companies so it should be reduced, stated an official letter to the US CDC director, Rochelle Walensky.
As per the latest data available, thousands of people in the United States were expected to be quarantined this Christmas after testing positive for the COVID 19 which includes the police staff, healthcare workers, and private employees.
Also, many people have also canceled, delayed, or changed their celebrations due to rising COVID cases. Because of their increased vulnerability, everyone over the age of 50 should get a booster shot, while everyone else has the option of not getting boosted, stated by the CDC.
With the Omicron cases, COVID cases are still on the rise across the United States. The Omicron variant of Coronavirus is the most common in the United States, accounting for 73% of all cases. To combat the increasing number of cases Joe Biden announced this week that he will distribute 500 million free at-home tests beginning in January and that he will also establish federal testing sites across the country.
More than 200,000 new cases were reported on Christmas, and many states have yet to report data for the day.
