Julia Harte and Joseph Ax

(Reuters) – Americans are facing an anxious holiday season for the second year in a row, due to the Omicron variant of the contagious Omicron virus. This could intensify the already alarming rise in COVID-19-related cases.

Health officials expressed concern over the rise in infections. They warned that hospitals fighting the Delta variant could face a new wave of infection if the two variants are combined.

The number of COVID patients in Maine hospitalized on Wednesday was a record, one day after Michigan’s new record. New Jersey had its largest number of COVID patients on Thursday, the highest since mid-January at the height of last winter’s spike.

A Reuters tally shows that new cases rose nearly 40% in the past month to an average daily rate of 121,000 per day for seven days. It is nearly half of what was seen in the last month, just days before the emergency coronavirus vaccinations were approved.

The average death rate has risen to 1300 per day, an increase of 18% from mid-November. The number of COVID hospitalizations has risen by around 45% in the last month.

The top U.S. expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that Omicron will soon take over infections.

Fauci said, “We have seen it in South Africa and we are seeing it here in the UK. And I am absolutely certain that that’s what you’re going to see here fairly soon.” He will be meeting with President Joe Biden on Thursday to discuss his government’s reaction.

Omicron infections are increasing rapidly in South Africa and the United Kingdom, as well as Denmark.

Britain recorded nearly 80,000 new cases on Wednesday, its highest single-day total https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/some-british-hospitals-struggle-with-staff-shortages-due-covid-19-2021-12-16 since the pandemic began, and officials there have warned that hospital admissions could soon hit record levels because of Omicron’s transmissibility.

While preliminary data indicates Omicron might be more contagious and less likely than Delta to cause severe illnesses, there is still much to learn. Omicron protection is greatly reduced by two-dose vaccinations, but a third booster dose can restore much of vaccine effectiveness.

New York City saw a double in the number of COVID-19-positive people within three days according to Dr. Jay Varma. Jay Varma is a senior adviser on public health to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

On Twitter, he said that he had never witnessed this in New York City. He also stated that Omicron is able to overcome both natural and vaccine-induced immunity.

Americans are being urged to reconsider plans to travel for their second consecutive year due the surge. Experts agree that vaccinations are safe as long they don’t pose any dangers, such as indoor crowds and large groups.

Kalaya’an Mendoza from Queens, New York said that he cancelled a planned trip to Florida with his family to visit his parents at Christmas and to celebrate his mom’s birth. He learned Monday morning that several participants in an event he attended had been positive.

Mendoza, 43 years old, stated that “I am a little bit broken” during a interview Thursday. It feels almost like it is 2020 again. My very strong Filipino need for safety and family care had to be weighed.

Mendoza hasn’t seen his parents in over a year and expressed anger at U.S. government’s failure to make progress on combating the pandemic. The country also spent billions of dollars on other things this year, including the military.

He said, “I can recall seeing my neighbours being taken away in body bags during the pandemic.”

Companies have been unable to get back to normal because of the increasing number of cases. Plans to bring employees to work were delayed. Citigroup Inc (NYSE:) told New York employees they could work remotely during the holiday season, according to people familiar with the matter.

United States is the leader in global daily infections. It accounts for approximately one fifth of all cases worldwide. More than 800,000 people died in the country and more 50 million have been infected since the start of the pandemic.

According to CDC officials, at least 36 states reported Omicron confirmed cases on Wednesday.

Following COVID-19-related outbreaks, several National Hockey League games and National Basketball Association matches were cancelled.

After close to 100 players placed on COVID-19 reserve lists, the National Football League (NFL) has yet not announced postponements.