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COVID Omicron Updates: CDC releases new guidance for some Americans to get additional vaccine booster shot

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NEW YORK (WABC) — The CDC has shortened the amount of time people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised need to wait before getting a fourth COVID vaccine booster dose.

They now recommend that the severely immunocompromised can get an additional Pfizer or Moderna shot three months after their third dose instead of five months.

The CDC also encourages people with weakened immune systems who originally got a Johnson & Johnson vaccine to take two additional doses, instead of just one.

RELATED: What are the symptoms of the COVID omicron variant?

Here are more of today’s COVID-19 headlines:

US death toll hits 900,000, sped by omicron
Propelled in part by the wildly contagious omicron variant, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 900,000 on Friday, less than two months after eclipsing 800,000. The two-year total, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Indianapolis, San Francisco, or Charlotte, North Carolina. The milestone comes more than 13 months into a vaccination drive that has been beset by misinformation and political and legal strife, though the shots have proved safe and highly effective at preventing serious illness and death.

Scientists study why some never catch coronavirus
Scientists are trying to unlock the mystery of why some people seem never to catch COVID. While there is no clear-cut answer, one factor may lie in our DNA, giving people with certain genetic traits more pre-existing protection. Researchers in London have also found that people with higher levels of T-cells generated from other previous coronavirus infections like a common cold were less likely to get COVID. “If there are overlapping sequences that are shared between the common cold coronaviruses and the sarscov2, that T-cell can react very quickly to mount a defense against sarscov2,” said Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, professor of immunology, Yale University.

More vaccinations will lead to lifting mask rules: Hochul
Records show 80% of 12-to 17-year-olds in New York State have gotten their first dose of the COVID vaccine, and Gov. Kathy Hochul says more vaccinations will lead to the lifting of mask mandates in schools. “The more children we have vaccinated, the safer they will be in school,” she said, explaining vaccination rate will be a factor in decisions on mask rules. “And they wont need a mask anymore,” Hochul promised. “But we are just not there yet. It is all based on data.” Data shows 40% of 5-to 11-year-olds have gotten their first dose.

COVID falling in 49 of 50 states as deaths near 900,000
With omicron easing, new cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. are falling in 49 of the 50 states, even as the nation’s death toll closes in on another bleak round number: 900,000. The number of lives lost to the pandemic in the U.S. stood at about 899,000 as of Friday afternoon, with deaths running at an average of more than 2,400 a day, back up to where they were last winter, when the vaccine drive was still getting started. But new cases per day have tanked by almost a half-million nationwide since mid-January, the curve trending downward in every state but Maine.

CT crosses grim milestone
Connecticut reported an additional 175 COVID deaths since last week, bringing the state’s total across the 10,000 threshold to 10,083. The state’s positivity rate is currently 6.57%, with 869 current hospitalizations.

Palin resumes court battle with NY Times after COVID illness

Sarah Palin’s libel suit against The New York Times went to trial Thursday in a case over the former Alaska governor’s claims the newspaper damaged her reputation with an editorial linking her campaign rhetoric to a mass shooting. The trial is a rare example of a jury deciding the validity of a persistent refrain from Palin and other Republicans: That a biased news media is willing to bend the truth to make conservatives look bad. Palin, a one-time Republican vice presidential nominee, told journalists as she arrived at the courthouse that she was looking for “Justice for people who expect truth in the media.” Opening statements to the jury were initially scheduled for last week, but were postponed when Palin tested positive for COVID-19.
“We come to this case with our eyes wide open and keenly aware of the fact we’re fighting an uphill battle,” Palin attorney Shane Vogt said. “Give us a fair shot. We’re not here trying to win your votes for Governor Palin or any of her policies.”

Medicare opens up access to free at-home COVID-19 tests
The Biden administration says people with Medicare will be able to get up to eight free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month, starting in early spring. It’s seeking to fill a frustrating gap in coverage for coronavirus tests. Last month, the administration directed private insurers to cover rapid COVID-19 tests for people on their plans. But until now officials were trying to figure out what to do about Medicare, which covers older people particularly vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19. Laws and regulations that govern the program stood in the way. Free tests will be available through participating pharmacies and other locations. AARP has praised Medicare’s decision.

Russia mulls loosening restrictions amid record virus surge
The Russian president says his government is considering loosening some coronavirus restrictions, even as the country is facing a record-breaking surge of infections because of the highly contagious omicron variant. Vladimir Putin on Thursday insisted that authorities are not planning any lockdowns or other additional restrictions because of the surge. Moreover, the government is considering lifting restrictions for those who come into contact with COVID-19 patients, “to give people the opportunity to continue working in peace.” Existing regulations mandate that people who come in contact with someone with COVID-19 must self-isolate for seven days. On Thursday, the country’s state coronavirus task force reported 155,768 new infections, a daily tally 10 times higher than a month ago.

How many times can I reuse my N95 mask?
How many times can I reuse my N95 mask? It depends, but you should be able to use N95s and KN95s a few times. The U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention says health care workers can wear an N95 mask up to five times. But experts say how often the average person can safely wear one will vary depending on how it’s used. Using the same mask to run to the grocery store, for example, is very different than wearing it all day at work.
When am I contagious if infected with omicron?

When am I contagious if infected with omicron? It’s not yet clear, but some early data suggests people might become contagious sooner than with earlier variants – possibly within a day after infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the few days before and after symptoms develop. But that window of time might happen earlier with omicron, according to some outside experts. That’s because omicron appears to cause symptoms faster than previous variants – about three days after infection, on average, according to preliminary studies. Based on previous data, that means people with omicron could start becoming contagious as soon as a day after infection.

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Omicron variant symptoms: what to know even if you are vaccinated
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Health

COVID Omicron Updates: Variant may be headed for a rapid drop in US

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NEW YORK (WABC) — Scientists are seeing signals that COVID-19’s alarming omicron wave may have peaked in Britain and is about to do the same in the U.S., at which point cases may start dropping off dramatically.

The reason: The variant has proved so wildly contagious that it may already be running out of people to infect, just a month and a half after it was first detected in South Africa.

“It’s going to come down as fast as it went up,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

At the same time, experts warn that much is still uncertain about how the next phase of the pandemic might unfold. The plateauing or ebbing in the two countries is not happening everywhere at the same time or at the same pace. And weeks or months of misery still lie ahead for patients and overwhelmed hospitals even if the drop-off comes to pass.

Take a look at cases and hospitalizations in New York City:

RELATED: What are the symptoms of the COVID omicron variant?

Here are more of today’s COVID-19 headlines:

No change to schools’ mask mandate after Nassau County executive order
One week after Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed an executive order allowing school boards to decide whether students wear masks in schools, not one school district has changed their mask policies.

Blakeman said school board members have told him privately that they feel threatened by Governor Kathy Hochul and state officials.

When am I contagious if infected with omicron?
When am I contagious if infected with omicron? It’s not yet clear, but some early data suggests people might become contagious sooner than with earlier variants – possibly within a day after infection. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the few days before and after symptoms develop. But that window of time might happen earlier with omicron, according to some outside experts. That’s because omicron appears to cause symptoms faster than previous variants – about three days after infection, on average, according to preliminary studies. Based on previous data, that means people with omicron could start becoming contagious as soon as a day after infection.

3,000 United Airlines employees test positive for COVID
United Airlines said it is reducing its flight schedule in hopes of stemming COVID-related staffing shortages that have caused thousands of flight cancellations across the industry. In a new company-wide memo, CEO Scott Kirby said the airline is “reducing our near-term schedules to make sure we have the staffing and resources to take care of customers.” Kirby did not specify by how much the airline is drawing down flights. But the memo added that “the omicron surge has put a strain on our operation, resulting in customer disruptions during a busy holiday season.” He went on to thank employees for their professionalism in handling the delays.

CDC says it will update mask ‘information’
The CDC says it plans to update its mask information to “best reflect the multiple options available to people and the different levels of protection they provide.” The CDC did not say when its guidance will be updated. In the meantime, the CDC said in a statement, “any mask is better than no mask, and we encourage Americans to wear a well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” Since the arrival of omicron, health experts have urged Americans to upgrade their cloth masks to an N95 or KN95 because the new variant is so highly transmissible. But these higher-grade masks are costly and hard to find.

Multiple states issue emergency declarations
Governors in multiple states are issuing emergency declarations as the omicron variant depletes vital health care resources. The CDC says the variant now makes up 98% of all new cases, and new numbers, accounting for the weekend backlog, show the U.S. tallied a record 1.4 million cases in a single day. The CDC has determined the unvaccinated are 17 times more likely to be hospitalized than vaccinated Americans.

Virginia issued a 30-day state of emergency to help health care facilities increase bed space and staff, while New Jersey and Washington, DC, are also under emergency orders. Maryland, Maine, and Massachusetts are all leaning on the National Guard as a record number of COVID patients flood hospitals.

Police: Nurse in Italy caught faking shots, ditching vaccine
Police in Italy have arrested a nurse on charges he faked giving coronavirus vaccinations to at least 45 people so they could get a health pass without actually getting the shot. The nurse ditched the vaccines in a bin and even put bandages on his “patients” so the scam would not be detected. Police in Ancona, on Italy’s eastern coast, also placed four alleged accomplices under house arrest, accusing them of finding anti-vaccine customers who were willing to pay for a health pass rather than get the shots. Forty-five people who allegedly received the fabricated passes are under investigation.

Stay home or work sick? Omicron poses a conundrum for workers without paid sick days
As the raging omicron variant of COVID-19 infects workers across the nation, millions of those whose jobs don’t provide paid sick days are having to choose between their health and their paycheck. While many companies instituted more robust sick leave policies at the beginning of the pandemic, some of those have since been scaled back with the rollout of the vaccines, even though omicron has managed to evade the shots. Meanwhile, the current labor shortage is adding to the pressure of workers having to decide whether to show up to their job sick if they can’t afford to stay home.

“It’s a vicious cycle,” said Daniel Schneider, professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. “As staffing gets depleted because people are out sick, that means that those that are on the job have more to do and are even more reluctant to call in sick when they in turn get sick.”

Federal officials issue warnings about fake COVID-19 testing kits
COVID-19 cases continue to rise dramatically, leading to brutally long lines at testing sites and empty shelves at stores where at-home rapid test kits were once in stock. Now, an additional problem has emerged: The Federal Trade Commission is warning about fraudulent testing kits being sold online to desperate customers.

Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the CDC determined the unvaccinated are 17% more likely to be hospitalized. This article has been updated to say 17 times more likely.

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Omicron variant symptoms: what to know even if you are vaccinated
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Health

COVID-19 Update: What are the symptoms of the omicron variant?

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NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — The omicron variant is leading to a significant surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States and across Europe.

The World Health Organization said 89% of those with confirmed omicron infections in Europe reported symptoms common with other coronavirus variants, including cough, sore throat, fever. The variant has mostly been spread by young people in their 20s and 30s in the region, WHO Europe regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said.

Although much remains unknown about omicron, Kluge said it appears to be more infectious than previous variants, leading to “previously unseen transmission rates” in countries with a significant number of omicron cases. In those countries, cases of the variant are doubling every 1.5 to 3 days.

Early research has found no clear difference in the symptom profile of the delta and omicron variants, according to scientists with the ZOE COVID study, which analyses thousands of Covid symptoms uploaded to an app by the British public.

Their top 5 symptoms:

1. Runny nose
2. Headache
3. Fatigue (mild or severe)
4. Sneezing
5. Sore throat

About half of the responders experienced the classic three symptoms of fever, cough, or loss of smell or taste.

Most of the contributors to the ZOE study were vaccinated and did not experience severe illness or require hospitalization.

The first U.S. case of COVID-19 attributed to the Omicron variant was detected on December 1, 2021.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most commonly reported symptoms linked to omicron so far are cough, fatigue, and congestion or runny nose.

The experts caution that it will take many more weeks to collect enough data to be sure, but their observations and the early evidence offer some clues.

This evidence is murky because many documented cases have been among people who are vaccinated and people who have prior infection, which may dramatically reduce the risk of severe illness, according to the ABC News Medical Unit.

Also, mild cases in one country may not translate to the same in the U.S. The delta variant, for example, turned out to be much more deadly in America than in the U.K., the Medical Unit reported.

Symptoms will not be the same for everyone, and the only way to diagnose COVID-19 is through testing.

What can you do to protect yourself and others?

“The unvaccinated are really quite vulnerable to getting infected and getting into serious trouble,” Dr. Anthony Fauci told Eyewitness News anchor Liz Cho during a recent interview.

He added that boosting with the current vaccines is the best path to protect against severe disease.

Fauci said while there is always risk of breakthrough cases, those infections should not lead to severe illness.

1. If you are experiencing symptoms, get tested but also isolate yourself.

2. If you live in an area experiencing high rates of infection, consider staying home and reducing social contact.
3. Get fully vaccinated, including the booster.
4. Wear a mask in crowded places and indoors.
5. Improve your immune health with small changes to your diet.

Additional information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

How easily does Omicron spread?

The omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

Will omicron cause more severe illness?

More data are needed to know if omicron infections, and especially reinfections and breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated, cause more severe illness or death than infection with other variants.

Will vaccines work against omicron?

Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the omicron variant. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur. With other variants, like Delta, vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. The recent emergence of omicron further emphasizes the importance of vaccination and boosters.

Will treatments work against omicron?

Scientists are working to determine how well existing treatments for COVID-19 work. Based on the changed genetic make-up of Omicron, some treatments are likely to remain effective while others may be less effective.

Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.

For more information about COVID-19 and the variants, please visit the CDC’s website.

Information from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the ZOE COVID Study, ABC News and the Associated Press

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COVID Update: New York State sets another single-day positive case record; with nearly 22,000 positive cases reported in 24 hours

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NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — New York State has set another single-day positive COVID case record with nearly 22,000 positive cases reported in 24 hours, Governor Hochul’s office reported.

The figure breaks the record for single-day positive COVID test results which was announced Friday.

The 21,908 positive COVID test results are out of 290,930 results reported – equaling a 7.53% positivity rate. More than half of the positive cases are in New York City.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio insisted there would not be new widespread school or business closures despite a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“We are in such a better situation than much of the country, but the key is more, more, and more vaccinations. So we are going to implement these mandates aggressively. We’re sending out inspectors, we need people to do this, we need all of these mandates to be followed. The more we vaccinate, the more we can get through this and the great danger here is shutdowns and restrictions,” de Blasio told WNYC Friday.

On Saturday, de Blasio said on Twitter that the City reported 5,263 new cases and 214 new hospitalizations on Friday.

The mayor announced the most aggressive vaccine mandate in the country last week, requiring private-sector workers to get vaccinated by December 27.

Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul said that 21,027 positive test results were reported in New York state Thursday, setting a new single-day reporting record.

“The winter surge in COVID-19 cases is a reminder that the pandemic is not over yet and we must take extra care to keep ourselves and each other safe,” Hochul said. “The vaccine is still our best weapon to defeat the virus and ensure we are safe from serious illness. Get the shot if you haven’t yet and the booster if you have, mask up, and wash your hands.”

Late Friday, Hochul announced that more than 40 new pop-up vaccinations sites would be opening across the state over the coming weeks.

In New York City, lines for coronavirus testing stretched for blocks, with some people waiting for hours for their turn.

Three schools in the city were forced to temporarily close due to the rising numbers, bringing the total to four.

ALSO READ | ‘We’ve never seen this before’: NYC COVID-19 positivity rate nearly doubles over 3 days

Still, the Department of Education said that four schools being closed is actually low. They are slated to reopen after winter recess on January 3.

“We do not hesitate to take action to keep school communities safe and our multi-layered approach to safety allows us to respond quickly and stop the spread. All school employees staff are vaccinated and every student will have a device to ensure live, continuous learning,” The DOE said.

The three schools now closed include: Eagle Academy for Young Men II in Brooklyn, PS 18 in the Bronx, and Robert E. Peary School in Queens.

In just the past two weeks, hospitalizations are up 22% in New York, 71% in Connecticut and 66% in New Jersey. Still, Mayor Bill de Blasio sought to ease concerns regarding business and school closures.

NYC hospitalization rates by vaccination status:

“No, no, no,” he said when asked about the possibility. “This is not March of 2020.”

He cited vaccine and booster rates, as well as the potential impact on the economy.

“We are one of the most highly vaccinated places in the USA,” he said. “The great danger is shutdowns and restrictions, because that would really destroy, in so many ways, people’s livelihoods…(with) everything people have been through, it would be traumatizing. We need to focus on vaccination, radically, use the mandates to the fullest. That’s not just here, but all over the country.”

RELATED | Broadway shows cancel performances, Met Opera to require booster shots

De Blasio on Thursday detailed a six-pronged approach to stamping out omicron in New York City.

Those measures include:
–Issuing a health advisory with guidance on keeping safe, including recommendations for mask wearing, vaccination, testing and booster shots
–Increase testing capacity with more mobile sites and a doubling down on brick and mortar sites, along with creating new fixed sites an expanding hours of operation
–Distributing 1 million KN95 masks to health centers and clinics
–Distributing half a million at home rapid tests, all for free
–Doubling down on boosters, being aggressive with a paid media campaign to encourage all who qualify to get a booster
–Doubling down on inspections to enforce all current mandates in place

Dr. Jay Varma, a senior health advisor to de Blasio, said the current spike is a sign of the omicron variant’s rapid spread and ability to evade immunity.

“Um, we’ve never seen this before in #NYC,” he tweeted.

He went on to say that omicron was evading both vaccine and virus-induced immunity “unlike any variant before.”

“That’s only explanation for dramatic jump in positivity,” he wrote. “Consensus for now (but subject to change) is that immunity *against severe disease* should be far better.”

Cases per capita by vaccination status:

There is still much unknown about omicron’s severity, but at this point, it appears to be spread much more easily, though thankfully cases at this point appear to be more mild.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned that “people are underestimating the power of omicron” and urged common sense, mask wearing and booster shots ahead of the winter.

“Has anybody heard anything I’ve said today about the situation we are in?” she said. “This is a crisis. This is a health care crisis, and people are going to die. It is not hyperbole.”

Hochul said she anticipates “a very serious situation” and that “we are in for a very rough ride this winter” with the omicron variant.

She also criticized “a few outlier counties that have declared their resistance to following health laws.”

NYC COVID death rates by vaccination status:

RELATED | Some counties refuse to enforce new NY mask mandate

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Coronavirus Updates: Restrictions to be lifted on fully-vaccinated, non-American travelers Monday

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NEW YORK (WABC) — The U.S. is lifting restrictions on foreign travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID, starting Monday.

The Biden administration is expecting long lines and delays at airports with travelers possibly pouring into the states.

When the announcement was made, online searches for international flights jumped 338%.

Delta Airlines saw bookings shoot up by 450%, and United Airlines says it will be bringing 30,000 travelers into the U.S. on Monday alone.

Here are more of today’s COVID-19 headlines:

Novavax says its vaccine could win over skeptics

The biotechnology company Novavax plans to submit complete data to the US Food and Drug Administration soon for possible emergency use authorization of its coronavirus vaccine, CEO Stanley Erck told CNN in a phone interview Friday. Novavax’s vaccine, called NVX-CoV2373, is made using somewhat more conventional methods than the vaccines already authorized for use in the US.

US cancels vaccine maker’s multimillion dollar deal
The federal government has canceled a multimillion dollar deal with Emergent BioSolutions, a Maryland-based vaccine manufacturer with facilities in Baltimore that were found to have produced millions of contaminated Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses this spring, the Washington Post reported. Emergent disclosed the development Thursday in a conference call discussing its latest financial results, the Post reported. Emergent said it will forgo about $180 million due to the contract’s termination, according to the Post. Emergent BioSolutions played a role in the Trump administration’s effort to speed up vaccine development and distribution. But after winning a contract from the previous administration, Emergent quickly ran into production problems. In March, ingredients intended for use in producing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shots contaminated 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The problems with the vaccines caused a monthslong delay in production. After that, the Biden administration put Johnson & Johnson in direct control of vaccine production there.

15 unions reach COVID vaccine mandate deal with NYC, talks continue with outliers
New York City employees who don’t want to get vaccinated have until Friday to file for a religious or medical exemption if they have any hope of staying on the payroll, this as the city announces more deals with unions representing municipal workers. Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that 15 unions, including city’s largest, DC 37, have signed onto the deal. The unions represent more than 100,000 city workers covered by this most recent mandate that took effect last week, but the police and fire unions are not included and are still trying to hash out their own deals. Around 92% of city workers under the mandate are vaccinated, including 90% of EMS, 79% of firefighters, 85% of sanitation workers, and 85% of NYPD employees.

COVID vaccine refusal 10th highest reason for job cuts in 2021, report says
While experts say we’re still in the so-called “Great Resignation,” a recent Jobs Cut Report uncovered vaccine refusal as the 10th highest reason for job cuts this year. Numbers released by Chicago-based outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. came on on the same day President Biden announced new federal guidance and deadline for tens of millions of workers to get vaccinated.
“Roughly 5,000 people that lost their jobs in the last month due to COVID vaccine refusal made up actually 22% of the total number of people that we tracked being let go across the country,” the firm’s Senior VP Andy Challenger told our sister station KGO-TV.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 pill reduces risk of being hospitalized or dying by 89%, company says

A course of pills developed by Pfizer can slash the risk of being hospitalized or dying from COVID-19 by 89% if taken within three days of developing symptoms, according to results released Friday by the pharmaceutical company. In a study of more than 1,200 COVID-19 patients with a higher risk of developing serious illness, people who took Pfizer’s pills were far less likely to end up in the hospital compared to people who got placebo pills. None of the people who got the real pills died, but 10 people who got placebo pills died, according to results summarized in a Pfizer press release.
SantaCon returns
After taking a year off due to the pandemic, SantaCon is returning to New York City. The event requires a $13 donation for all-inclusive Santa Badge access to the official SantaCon venues. The location of a Yuletide kickoff party won’t be disclosed until closer to the December 11 SantaCon date.

Turkey Day troubles? Smaller birds, popular Thanksgiving sides could be harder to find in 2021
Consumers may have to trim their list of trimmings for their highly anticipated Thanksgiving meal this year. Top turkey seller Butterball said it doesn’t expect an overall gobbler shortage, but that those in search of a smaller size bird could have a hard time.
“Typically a 10- to 12-pound (turkey) up to 14 pounds is going to be more difficult,” Butterball CEO Jay Jandrain told “Good Morning America” on Friday. “Anything over 16 pounds, they’ll certainly be more readily available.”

Q&A: What to know about COVID-19 vaccines for kids aged 5-11
Vaccinations finally are available to U.S. children as young as 5, to the relief of some parents even as others have questions or fears. Late Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the final OK for youngsters age 5 to 11 to get kid-size doses of the vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. Pediatricians and other doctors’ groups praised the move and are gearing up to help families decide whether to vaccinate their children. The shots could be available as soon as Wednesday and will be offered at pediatricians offices, clinics and pharmacies. Like COVID-19 vaccines for adults, they are free. Here’s everything you need to know.

Will the supply chain issues impact holiday shopping? Here’s what the experts say

With the holiday shopping suddenly upon us, it appears that getting that perfect gift or preparing that perfect meal will be far more challenging than in years past due to supply chain issues. Shoppers are noticing that it’s difficult to find a variety of items, and virtually everything from food to Christmas trees are more expensive. The price increase is being caused by gridlock at major seaports and a truck driver shortage across the country. Analysts say the forecast for the holiday season is not looking better.

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PENNSYLVANIA COVID-19 briefing

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Pennsylvania COVID-19 vaccine briefing

WGAL News 8 coronavirus coverage

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is holding a COVID-19 briefing today.Department of Health Senior Advisor Lindsey Mauldin will host the virtual media briefing to provide an update on the vaccine distribution in Pennsylvania. The briefing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. When it begins, you can watch it in the video player above. You may need to refresh the page to see it.

HARRISBURG, Pa. —

The Pennsylvania Department of Health is holding a COVID-19 briefing today.

Department of Health Senior Advisor Lindsey Mauldin will host the virtual media briefing to provide an update on the vaccine distribution in Pennsylvania.

The briefing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. When it begins, you can watch it in the video player above. You may need to refresh the page to see it.

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