Arriana McLymore

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Over the weekend of Christmas, more than 4,000 commercial flights were cancelled by airlines worldwide. The increase in COVID-19 infection caused by Omicron variants created uncertainty for holiday travellers and made it worse.

According to FlightAware.com, Friday was a busy day for airlines around the world. It fell on Christmas Eve, which is a traditional holiday.

According to the website, 1,404 additional Christmas Day flights had been cancelled worldwide and 340 were scheduled for Sunday.

FlightAware data shows that almost a fourth (or more) of cancellations occurred in the United States on Saturday due to commercial aviation.

United Airlines (NYSE:) and Delta Air Lines(NYSE:) were among the first U.S. airlines to announce a surge in holiday weekend cancellations. They cited personnel shortages due to the increase of COVID-19 infection.

COVID-19 infection rates have risen in the United States due to Omicron (a highly transmissible variant of COVID-19), which was discovered in November. In some parts, as high as 90%, it accounts for three-quarters, if not all, US cases.

According to Reuters, the average number of COVID new cases rose by 45% to 179,000 each day in the last week. New York had more than 44,000 confirmed cases of COVID on Friday. This is a new record for the city.

The U.S. Midwest was particularly affected by the rising number of hospitalizations. In Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, ICUs are now bracing themselves for the worst despite being under heavy pressure from a earlier wave Delta variant case.

Britain was not alone in having staff shortages. Many transport and industry networks had to cope with sick workers becoming isolated. Meanwhile, hospitals warned about potential risks for patient safety.

According to the Office for National Statistics data, one-in-20 Londoners was infected with COVID-19 last Thursday. This number could increase to one-in-10 by next week’s beginning. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/one-10-londoners-likely-infected-with-covid-ons-models-2021-12-24

On Friday, government data revealed a new record of 122186 infections across the nation. It marks the third day when there have been more than 100,000 cases.

Although Omicron may cause milder symptoms and less hospitalizations than COVID-19 versions, recent research shows that Omicron is more effective.

According to Jenny Harries (head of UK Health Security Agency), “There’s a glimmer for Christmas hope…but it certainly isn’t at the point when we could downgrade that grave threat.”

France set a new COVID-19 record Friday with a daily count of 94,000. Hospitalizations for the disease reached an all-time high of seven months. This prompted the government to call a special meeting Monday, which could lead to additional public health restrictions.

Millions of Americans continued to travel despite the grim news and uncertainties around the globe, despite the second pandemic.

Moses Jimenez is an accountant who hails from Long Beach in Mississippi. He flew with his family to New York, despite the recent outbreak of coronavirus.

The cast and crew of “Hamilton”, one of the dozen cancelled shows, were positive for COVID-19. The family has removed museums from their itinerary as they now need proof of vaccination. Also, the children who are younger than the age of two cannot be shot in these places.

Jimenez, 33 years old, stated that the brood would enjoy the freedom of exploring the city’s parks and streets, and will also visit relatives and close friends.

Jimenez stated that “we just wanted to get outside the house really get the children out to the city to celebrate Christmas,” Reuters reported on Thursday from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.

New York planned to sharply limit the number of people it allows in Times Square for its annual outdoor New Year’s Eve celebration, in response to the surge of new coronavirus cases https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-york-city-scale-down-new-years-eve-celebrations-times-square-2021-12-23, capping the number of attendees 15,000.

The Biden administration will next week lift travel restrictions on eight southern African countries imposed last month over concerns about the Omicron variant, the White House said https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/exclusive-us-lift-travel-curbs-eight-african-countries-source-2021-12-24.