National

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 832,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 62.3% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 06, 7:18 pm
Chicago cancels classes for 3rd day

Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third largest school district, canceled instruction on Friday for the third day in a row amid an impasse over in-person learning.

Classes were first canceled Wednesday, and then again on Thursday, after a majority of the Chicago Teachers Union’s membership voted this week in favor of remote learning during a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The district said Thursday evening that all classes will be canceled on Friday, though some schools may be able to offer in-person activities for students.

“Our schools are the best, safest place for students to be during this pandemic, and we are working tirelessly to get everyone back in class every day,” Pedro Martinez, head of the school district, said in a letter to families, noting that they are continuing to work with the union “to resolve this situation.”

The teacher’s union is calling for more robust school COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.

Jan 06, 6:43 pm
J&J says vaccine offers lower initial efficacy but more stable protection over time

Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine offers lower initial efficacy compared to Pfizer’s and Moderna’s, but protection against breakthrough infection remains more stable over time, according to a new study sponsored by the pharmaceutical company.

The study found that the J&J vaccine was 74% effective against breakthrough infection in the weeks following the shot. This level of protection held steady over the next three months and started waning after the fourth month.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, meanwhile, were 88% and 92% effective, respectively, against breakthrough infection in the weeks following the second dose, the study found. This level of protection started waning after the second month, falling progressively over six months.

Protection against severe illness remained more stable over time for all three vaccines.

The analysis, which has not been peer-reviewed, looked at data from 168 million people between Jan. 1 and Sept. 7 of last year. It covers a period of alpha and delta variant dominance, but the results could change now that the omicron variant is also present.

The data supports current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for booster shots after two months for the J&J vaccine to bring initial efficacy higher, and booster shots for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines after five and six months, respectively, to boost efficacy after a period of waning.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Jan 06, 4:44 pm
Less than 0.1% of fully vaccinated adults get severe COVID-19: CDC

COVID-19 vaccines dramatically reduce the risk of severe illness and death from the virus, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Thursday.

The study looked at 1.2 million fully vaccinated adults who received either two shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Just 0.18% of patients had breakthrough COVID-19 infections, and 0.015% developed serious illness that led to hospitalization, ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, intubation or death.

The small portion of people who did become seriously sick or die of COVID-19 after being vaccinated were primarily older adults, immunocompromised people or those living with multiple underlying medical conditions.

The study was conducted before the emergence of the omicron variant, which appears to more easily evade — at least partially — the protection offered by vaccines.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Jan 06, 3:55 pm
About 126,000 Americans hospitalized with COVID-19

An estimated 126,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Of those patients, about one-sixth — or 21,000 — are in intensive care units.

The spread of the omicron variant is pushing the U.S. closer to the hospitalization record set last winter when 140,000 patients with the virus were hospitalized .

Meanwhile, the country is averaging 554,000 new COVID-19 cases every day, a five-fold increase from a month ago, federal data shows.

Over the last week, the U.S. has reported about 3.88 million COVID-19 infections, which averages out to about six Americans testing positive every second.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jan 06, 2:34 pm
More than 800 LA firefighters, police officers test positive

More than 800 staff members at fire and police departments in Los Angeles have tested positive for COVID-19, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday.

Currently, 505 police officers and 299 firefighters are quarantining after receiving positive results.

“These are big numbers. Numbers that are reflecting the staffing challenges that all of us face,” Garcetti said during a press conference outside a fire station.

He added that five out of six employees in both departments are fully vaccinated, complying with the vaccine mandate set in place for city employees.

Garcetti said that despite the number of officers and firefighters absent from work, the city is still protected.

“Both LAPD and LAFD have maintained staffing levels that are needed to keep Angelenos safe, and we have maintained staffing levels to make sure you, your family, our communities are safe,” he said.

Jan 06, 12:33 pm
WHO says global cases increased by 71% last week

Global cases of COVID-19 “increased sharply,” the World Health Organization wrote in its weekly epidemiological update published Thursday.

Cases of the virus increased 71% during the week ending Jan. 2 compared to the previous week, meaning there were 9.5 million new infections of COVID-19 reported around the world, according to the WHO.

The Americas saw the largest increase at 100% followed by Southeast Asia at 78% and Europe at 63%.

The United States saw the most COVID-19 cases last week followed by the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy.

The WHO added that there was a 10% decrease in the number of new deaths compared to the week prior with more than 41,000 virus-related fatalities recorded.

Jan 06, 11:17 am
1.3 million people in UK have long COVID, data shows

An estimated 1.3 million people in the United Kingdom are suffering from long COVID, according to new data published Thursday by the UK’s Office for National Statistics.

Long COVID is a condition in which patients who recover from the virus still experience symptoms for weeks — or even months or years — later.

The ONS said the figure, which is based on self-reported symptoms, equates to 2% of the population living with long COVID.

Fatigue was the most common symptom, reported by 51% of those surveyed. Other common symptoms included loss of smell (37%), shortness of breath (36%) and difficulty concentrating (28%).

About 64% said their long COVID symptoms made it difficult for them to carry out day-to-day activities.

Long COVID was most commonly reported in those between ages 35 and 69, females, people living in poorer areas or those working in health care or education, according to the ONS.

Jan 06, 4:05 am
American Medical Association criticizes CDC’s new guidance

The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest association of physicians, has criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new quarantine and isolation guidance for COVID-19, saying the recommendations “are risking further spread of the virus.”

The CDC updated its guidelines on Dec. 27, saying asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate for five days rather than 10.

“The American people should be able to count on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for timely, accurate, clear guidance to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. Instead, the new recommendations on quarantine and isolation are not only confusing, but are risking further spread of the virus,” the American Medical Association’s president, Dr. Gerald E. Harmon, said in a statement Wednesday night.

Harmon referenced data cited by the CDC in its rationale for shortening the isolation period, which estimates 31% of people remain infectious five days after a positive COVID-19 test, suggesting that data proves thousands of Americans could return to their lives while still infected.

“With hundreds of thousands of new cases daily and more than a million positive reported cases on January 3, tens of thousands — potentially hundreds of thousands of people — could return to work and school infectious if they follow the CDC’s new guidance on ending isolation after five days without a negative test,” Harmon said. “Physicians are concerned that these recommendations put our patients at risk and could further overwhelm our health care system.”

Harmon said a negative COVID-19 test should be required for ending isolation after a positive test, as reentering society without knowing whether an individual is still positive ultimately risks further transmission of the virus.

Although test availability remains an issue nationwide, Harmon also called on the Biden administration to ramp up production and distribution of tests, adding that “a dearth of tests at the moment does not justify omitting a testing requirement to exit a now shortened isolation.”

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jan 06, 3:16 am
Chicago cancels school for 2nd day

Officials in Chicago canceled all public school classes on Thursday amid discussions about classroom safety with the city’s teachers.

Classes had been canceled on Wednesday after a majority of the Chicago Teachers Union’s membership voted in favor of remote learning during a surge in COVID-19 cases. School officials called their action an illegal strike.

“In a time of crisis related to this pandemic, the worst possible thing we can do is abandon the science and data,” Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot said on Twitter. “If you care about our students and families as we do, we will not relent. We are standing firm and fighting to get our kids back to in-person learning.”

Teachers were locked out of their remote classrooms on Wednesday, according to the union. Union leaders asked members to again try to log in on Thursday, urging them post photos on social media.

The union on Wednesday filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Chicago Board of Education.

“We have rights to safety and we’ve been at the bargaining table for 20 months to secure those rights,” Jesse Sharkey, the union’s president, said in a statement.

Chicago Public Schools are among the largest in the country, with about 340,000 students in 636 schools.

Jan 06, 2:43 am
TSA reports more than 3,000 employee cases

The Transportation Security Administration reported 3,037 current COVID-19 infections on Wednesday.

The agency’s infections have increased by about 16% in two days, according to TSA data.

The agency, which employs about 60,000, said it’s had a cumulative 15,191 COVID-19 cases. The agency said 12,154 employees have recovered and 33 have died.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

Jan 05, 9:02 pm
CDC signs off on Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the final go-ahead for children ages 12 to 15 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster.

“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement endorsing the CDC advisory panel’s recommendation to expand booster eligibility.

The CDC recommends that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 get a Pfizer booster five months after their second dose.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — More than 90 million people around the country are expecting hazardous weather on Thursday into Friday morning.

Thirty-seven states are under winter weather alerts for heavy snow, ice, brutal cold and wind Thursday night.

More than 2,000 flights on Thursday have been canceled as of 5:30 p.m., with airports in Nashville, Denver and Chicago the most impacted, according to FlightAware. Over 1,500 flights on Friday have also been canceled, with airports in New York, Denver and Newark, New Jersey, among the most impacted.

There were numerous accidents around the country Thursday, with some interstates closed from Oregon to Michigan as the wild weather moved across the country.

Police in Nashville are investigating a multi-car collision on Interstate 40 that blocked off all the westbound lanes, according to WKRN.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a winter storm advisory and advised people to avoid any unnecessary travel in several parts of the state. Two weather systems are expected to produce snow and gusting winds, resulting in snow, ice-covered roads and low visibility, according to a statement from her office.

“Areas in Western New York and the North Country are already experiencing lake effect snow and we’re anticipating up to six inches of snow in Downstate regions between tonight and tomorrow morning,” Hochul said in a statement.

A winter storm is headed for the Interstate 95 corridor, where earlier this week, weather conditions left people trapped on the highway for more than 24 hours in Virginia.

The I-95 corridor is expected to see 3 to 6 inches of snow, with localized amounts of up to 8 inches in Massachusetts and Maine.

Virginia state officials and agencies are strongly cautioning drivers to stay off the roads due to the wintry conditions.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency on Wednesday due to the winter weather.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency Thursday, amid heavy snowfall across the state.

“We are urging Kentuckians to stay off the roads if possible,” Beshear said in a statement. “The weather we are continuing to see across Kentucky is dangerous.”

More than half a foot of snow is possible in Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Dozens of schools announced they will be closed on Thursday due to weather conditions, according to Memphis ABC affiliate WATN.

The storm system is moving out of the central Plains and the Mid-South and will form into a coastal low, bringing a widespread snow event from Nashville, Tennessee, to Washington. D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston.

A winter storm warning is in place for Boston and Nashville and a winter weather advisory is in place for Washington. D.C., Philadelphia and New York City.

Nashville could see several inches of snow.

Areas, including New York City, Boston and Philadelphia, are expected to get the first significant snow of the season.

Snow begins in D.C. Thursday evening and will continue overnight. Snow starts in Philadelphia after midnight and in New York City after 2 a.m. and into the Friday morning commute. Snow in Boston will begin before the morning commute and continue into the afternoon.

Behind the eastern snowstorm, an arctic outbreak is moving in with wind chills as low as minus 60 degrees in the northern Plains.

Brutal cold continues to spread from Montana to Illinois where wind chill alerts are in effect.

Near-zero wind chills are expected for Friday morning in Nashville and in the teens from Dallas to Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta.

ABC News’ Mina Kaji contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As police across the country have grappled with illegal guns on American streets, an increasing number of those weapons are “ghost guns” they say — guns that lack serial numbers or other traceable components.

On Thursday, federal prosecutors in New York charged a Rhode Island man who they said trafficked dozens of ghost guns to the Bronx and the Dominican Republic.

Robert Alcantara has been involved in the sale or attempted sale of what appear to be more than 100 firearms, mostly “ghost gun” handguns that he purchased in incomplete form and then finished at a workstation at his house, Kiran Mathew, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said in a sworn complaint.

Alcantara is charged with conspiracy to traffic firearms and with making false statements about it when questioned by the ATF.

Alcantara showed off his skill at building ghost guns in a video the complaint said he posted to YouTube in 2019

The Justice Department reported last year that between 2016 and 2020, more than 23,000 weapons without serial numbers were recovered by law enforcement at potential crime scenes, including scenes connected to 325 homicides or attempted homicides.

An intelligence bulletin issued last year and obtained by ABC News said violent criminals and domestic extremists “likely favor use of (‘ghost guns’) in lethal attacks based on a review of recent incidents and investigations and the challenges of tracking un-serialized firearm components.”

Alcantara contributed to the proliferation by assembling these guns at a home workshop using components he purchased at gun shows, according to the complaint.

He was arrested in Rhode Island Thursday morning and made an initial court appearance in Providence.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Alcantara had a lawyer.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — An Egyptian American has been charged with acting as an illegal agent of Egypt as he “tracked and obtained information regarding political opponents” of the Egyptian president, federal prosecutors in New York said.

It’s the latest example of an autocratic leader extending their grip beyond their borders to quash political dissent — a hand that in recent years has even extended into the U.S., according to some analysts.

Pierre Girgis, 39, “operated at the direction and control of multiple employees of the Egyptian government,” according to the criminal complaint, as he spied on critics of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian general who seized power in 2013.

Sisi has overseen a widespread crackdown on human rights in Egypt, which is among the least free countries in the world, according to the think tank Freedom House. Sisi’s government has imprisoned tens of thousands of political prisoners, criminalized expressions of dissent and deployed security forces with impunity, according to human rights groups.

“At the behest of Egyptian officials, Girgis’ alleged prohibited conduct included attempting to covertly gather non-public intelligence about the activities of political opponents of Egypt’s president, and attempting to gain access for foreign officials to attend law enforcement-only trainings in Manhattan,” U.S. attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

Girgis is charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general of the United States and with conspiracy.

The Egyptian Embassy in Washington, D.C., has not yet responded to a request for comment. The government has previously denied harassing dissidents or defended arrests as critical to national security, and Sisi once claimed his government held no political prisoners.

Critics, such as the Freedom Initiative, have alleged that Sisi’s repressive tactics now extend beyond Egypt’s borders to target dissidents overseas.

“Mr. Girgis’ activities are not isolated. Egypt has engaged in a pattern of intimidating and harassing rights defenders, journalists and the families of political prisoners in the U.S. for years,” said Allison McManus, research director of the human rights organization founded by Mohamed Soltan.

Soltan, an Egyptian American, spent nearly two years in prison for protesting Sisi’s 2013 seizure of power. He was tortured in prison, he said, and went on hunger strike to demand his release, but after being returned to the U.S., his outspoken advocacy has resulted in Egyptian authorities harassing his family, he claimed.

Soltan’s father has been arrested by Egyptian authorities and has had no communication with his family since, according to Soltan, while five cousins have been arrested and released twice now. The Freedom Initiative alleged in a May 2021 report that at least a dozen American citizens have had family members back in Egypt detained throughout 2020, five of which were in direct response to their political activity in the U.S.

The State Department declined to comment on Girgis’ case, saying it is an active law enforcement matter. But spokesperson Ned Price told ABC News, “We are seeking to hold to account countries that would pursue dissidents, that would undertake such activity extraterritorially.”

Critics say that little has been done to punish Egypt, one of the United States’ key Middle East allies and a major recipient of military aid.

The Biden administration withheld $130 million in military aid last fall, which human rights groups in a joint statement said “undermines the human rights of Egypt’s citizens and further erodes the standing of the United States.”

Examples of this kind of “extraterritorial” activity by autocratic governments have grown in recent years, too.

The Saudi government ordered the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at its consulate in Turkey, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko grounded a Ryanair flight to arrest a dissident blogger on board, and Russian agents poisoned former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in the United Kingdom. Saudi Arabia claimed it was a rogue operation, while Russia denied any responsibility for Skripal’s poisoning.

This is also not the first case of a foreign agent spying on dissidents in the U.S.

Last summer, the Department of Justice accused four Iranian citizens, including one intelligence agent, of attempting to kidnap activist and writer Masih Alinejad from her New York apartment. Federal prosecutors said the suspects were directed by the Iranian government to bring Alinejad back to Tehran because of her criticism of the government.

It’s unclear what Girgis’ information was being used for, if at all, but an Egyptian official allegedly made its value to the government clear in encrypted communications sent in 2018, according to the criminal complaint.

“You do a lot of good things,” one message from an unnamed Egyptian official said, according to the complaint. “You have become an important source for them to collect information.”

In a 2019 message, Girgis and the same Egyptian official reportedly discussed an upcoming trip of certain Egyptian officials to the United States.

“Tell me what you want me to do,” Girgis asked his handler, according to the criminal complaint.

The Egyptian official responded by inquiring about Girgis’ relationship with a particular U.S. law enforcement officer.

“Ask [the U.S. law enforcement officer] for something,” the official reportedly said. “We want you to find out if there are any police trainings happening in Manhattan in the coming days, and if so, who are the people in charge of these trainings? We would like to attend.”

Girgis surrendered Thursday morning to the FBI and was due to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court later in the day. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had arranged a lawyer.

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 832,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 62.3% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 06, 4:05 am
American Medical Association criticizes CDC’s new guidance

The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest association of physicians, has criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new quarantine and isolation guidance for COVID-19, saying the recommendations “are risking further spread of the virus.”

The CDC updated its guidelines on Dec. 27, saying asymptomatic people who test positive for COVID-19 should self-isolate for five days rather than 10.

“The American people should be able to count on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for timely, accurate, clear guidance to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. Instead, the new recommendations on quarantine and isolation are not only confusing, but are risking further spread of the virus,” the American Medical Association’s president, Dr. Gerald E. Harmon, said in a statement Wednesday night.

Harmon referenced data cited by the CDC in its rationale for shortening the isolation period, which estimates 31% of people remain infectious five days after a positive COVID-19 test, suggesting that data proves thousands of Americans could return to their lives while still infected.

“With hundreds of thousands of new cases daily and more than a million positive reported cases on January 3, tens of thousands — potentially hundreds of thousands of people — could return to work and school infectious if they follow the CDC’s new guidance on ending isolation after five days without a negative test,” Harmon said. “Physicians are concerned that these recommendations put our patients at risk and could further overwhelm our health care system.”

Harmon said a negative COVID-19 test should be required for ending isolation after a positive test, as reentering society without knowing whether an individual is still positive ultimately risks further transmission of the virus.

Although test availability remains an issue nationwide, Harmon also called on the Biden administration to ramp up production and distribution of tests, adding that “a dearth of tests at the moment does not justify omitting a testing requirement to exit a now shortened isolation.”

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jan 06, 3:16 am
Chicago cancels school for 2nd day

Officials in Chicago canceled all public school classes on Thursday amid discussions about classroom safety with the city’s teachers.

Classes had been canceled on Wednesday after a majority of the Chicago Teachers Union’s membership voted in favor of remote learning during a surge in COVID-19 cases. School officials called their action an illegal strike.

“In a time of crisis related to this pandemic, the worst possible thing we can do is abandon the science and data,” Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot said on Twitter. “If you care about our students and families as we do, we will not relent. We are standing firm and fighting to get our kids back to in-person learning.”

Teachers were locked out of their remote classrooms on Wednesday, according to the union. Union leaders asked members to again try to log in on Thursday, urging them post photos on social media.

The union on Wednesday filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Chicago Board of Education.

“We have rights to safety and we’ve been at the bargaining table for 20 months to secure those rights,” Jesse Sharkey, the union’s president, said in a statement.

Chicago Public Schools are among the largest in the country, with about 340,000 students in 636 schools.

Jan 06, 2:43 am
TSA reports more than 3,000 employee cases

The Transportation Security Administration reported 3,037 current COVID-19 infections on Wednesday.

The agency’s infections have increased by about 16% in two days, according to TSA data.

The agency, which employs about 60,000, said it’s had a cumulative 15,191 COVID-19 cases. The agency said 12,154 employees have recovered and 33 have died.

-ABC News’ Sam Sweeney

Jan 05, 9:02 pm
CDC signs off on Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the final go-ahead for children ages 12 to 15 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster.

“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement endorsing the CDC advisory panel’s recommendation to expand booster eligibility.

The CDC recommends that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 get a Pfizer booster five months after their second dose.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — As schools returned from winter break this week amid skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, more did so virtually than at any point so far this school year.

The third school year during the pandemic had largely seen limited disruptions to in-person learning.

But this week, there have been over 4,500 temporary school closures across the country, according to Burbio, a company that monitors COVID-19 policies in over 80,000 K-12 schools. That’s the highest number it has tracked so far this school year; most weeks, there have been hundreds, not thousands, of closures.

The prospect of a return to virtual learning, on a short- or long-term basis has some parents around the country concerned about the challenges of remote education and unpredictable childcare after great lengths were taken to keep kids in the classroom. For many, the move was abrupt, and issues faced in previous iterations of remote learning have not been solved.

By the same token, advocates say some parents feel the opposite, applauding the move temporarily to keep schools open in the long run. Others say they would like to return to virtual learning for safety reasons, but simply don’t have the option. And of course, there are the teachers and staff in the middle of the process, with their safety and education concerns as well.

‘One of the last things we do’

Some parents who have found their schools temporarily closed have voiced frustration and disappointment in returning to virtual learning.

“Closing schools I think should be one of the last things we do, not the first thing we do when COVID cases go up,” Amanda, a mother of two in Maryland who asked that her last name not be printed to protect her family’s privacy, told ABC News.

Amanda’s elementary school-aged sons attend Prince George’s County Public Schools, where officials announced on Dec. 17 that the district would be going virtual for several days before the winter break and for another two weeks upon their return after a “stark rise” in school COVID-19 cases “significantly challenged” its ability to deliver in-person instruction safely.

Her sons, who had hoped being vaccinated would mean fewer disruptions, are “devastated” at going virtual, she said. She and her husband work full-time and find it challenging to help their kindergartener navigate Zoom. Their third-grader manages better independently with virtual learning but is “miserable” online, she said.

“My oldest hated virtual school last year. Every morning, it’s just a fight,” she said. “He’s lost so much of the joy of school having to be remote for so long.”

The temporary closures have left some parents wondering if remote learning may be extended or returned to in the future, and what metric that would be based on.

Without pandemic financial protections

Without the same flexibility and expanded financial assistance as offered earlier in the pandemic, they’re also not sure how they can manage childcare while still working.

After losing her job due to the pandemic, Erin Wisniewski told ABC News she was able to stay afloat thanks to enhanced unemployment benefits while also being home for remote schooling. She’s been back at work while her fourth-grader and kindergartner have also been back in person at the Bayonne School District in Hudson County, New Jersey, this school year.

When the district went remote this week due to high community transmission, she was able to have a friend watch her daughters. But she is worried about scrambling to make arrangements should the need arise again.

“If this is going to be for the next couple of months, it’s going to be like, what bill am I not going to be able to pay this month so I can pay the babysitter to keep my kids in school,” Wisniewski said.

The district told families Wednesday that it plans to return to in-person instruction this Monday, with the new option for continued remote learning “due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.”

When he got a call that his daughter would be remote this week, John, who has a fifth-grader in the Union City School District in Hudson County, “I was beside myself,” he told ABC News. To him, it seemed schools would do whatever it took to remain open safely this year.

“That was the attitude in September and all of a sudden now we’re virtual again?” the father, who asked that his last name not be printed to protect his privacy, told ABC News. “That’s what really upset me.”

He said his daughter, who has ADHD, gets distracted and it’s difficult for him to arrange time to work remotely himself. After a few days remote she was having “flashbacks” to remote learning last year.

“Remote schooling does not work for her,” he said. “It’s not as engaging as being surrounded by other kids who are also learning.”

‘Smartest thing to do’

Most school districts in Hudson County have gone virtual this week amid record COVID-19 cases in the state, fueled in part by the highly transmissible omicron variant. Lisa Milan, who has a seventh-grader in the Bayonne school district, thinks the move will help keep schools open in the long term.

“If they really don’t want to be forced to shut down schools completely because of sick teachers, sick staff, sick kids, I think going remote is the smartest thing to do to keep the majority of people safer,” she said. “If you limit the interactions, obviously, you’re quelling this incredible spread that this variant seems to have.”

As daily COVID-19 cases in the state have exploded in the past month, regularly surpassing 20,000 daily, her own family has been impacted during the surge. Milan said her son tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before Christmas, and her husband a few days after him. Both breakthrough cases were very mild.

“I’m grateful for that,” she said. “We still have to worry about people who are older or immunocompromised, or teachers or staff and certainly kids who are immunocompromised.”

As founder of the Chicago-based community Hustle Mommies, Ariel DeNey Rainey has lately been hearing from mothers worried about their children bringing COVID home to those with pre-existing health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the virus.

“People are catching it left and right,” she said. “Moms are worried about their kids’ health, but also are faced with, if my kids are home, where can they go?”

One of the latest districts to close is among the largest in the country. Chicago Public Schools canceled classes for hundreds of thousands of students Wednesday after reaching an impasse Tuesday night with the city’s teachers union over whether in-person learning was safe.

COVID-19 case rates in Chicago have reached record levels. The seven-day daily case average in the city jumped from just over 800 at the beginning of December to over 5,000 by the end of the month, according to city data. City officials have said transmission has been low in schools, though cases started to tick up in recent weeks.

As school districts have had to contend with a rapidly evolving situation, considering health concerns and staffing shortages, decisions to go virtual in some cases were made days before the return from winter break, leaving parents in “limbo,” Bernita Bradley, the Midwest delegate for the National Parents Union, an education advocacy group, told ABC News. Parents who want to go virtual may not have the option to, leaving them in a difficult spot too, she said.

“Right now parents are really scrambling and they’re upset,” she said. “They’re confused because the schools are not really providing what their kids need when it comes down to both options.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(MANCHESTER, N.H.) — The father of a missing New Hampshire girl who was last seen over two years ago has been arrested in connection to the case, police said.

The Manchester Police Department first reached out to the public for tips on the whereabouts of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery last week, after it learned she had not been seen since late 2019.

Adam Montgomery, 31, was arrested Tuesday on charges including felony second-degree assault “arising from 2019 conduct against Harmony Montgomery,” police said.

Montgomery also was charged with interference with custody and two charges of endangering the welfare of a child, both misdemeanors. Montgomery has legal custody of Harmony but has not had her in his physical custody since approximately November 2019, according to the complaint.

Montgomery waived his right to an arraignment hearing at the Hillsborough Superior Court Wednesday and agreed to be placed in preventive detention, according to court records. ABC News reached out to his attorney for comment.

According to an affidavit released Wednesday, family members told police they were concerned Montgomery was putting Harmony in physical harm. Montgomery allegedly told his brother that he gave Harmony a black eye and “bashed her around his house,” the affidavit stated. The brother notified the state’s Division of Children, Youth and Families about the injury after he saw Harmony with a black eye in July 2019, according to the affidavit.

Harmony’s mother told authorities she believes she last saw her daughter around Easter 2019 in a FaceTime video call, during which the girl “seemed frightened,” according to the affidavit.

Her mother lost custody of Harmony in July 2018 in part due to a substance abuse issue and has since regained sobriety, according to the affidavit. She contacted Manchester police in November after she was repeatedly unable to find Harmony or her father, the affidavit said. The department launched an investigation after the state’s Division of Children, Youth and Families notified police on Dec. 27 that the agency had been unable to find Harmony, according to the affidavit.

Police interviewed several family members to try to determine the last time Harmony was last seen. Montgomery’s current wife told police she last saw the girl in November or December 2019 with her father, who allegedly told her he was driving Harmony to her mother’s in Massachusetts, according to the affidavit. His wife “never saw, or heard about [Harmony] after that day,” and last saw Montgomery in October, the affidavit stated.

Police located Montgomery sleeping in a car in Manchester on Dec. 31, at which point he “made some contradictory comments during our interaction which raised our suspicion and concern for [Harmony’s] well-being,” the affidavit stated. Montgomery allegedly told police he had seen Harmony “somewhat recently,” then said he hadn’t seen her since her mother picked her up in Manchester in November 2019, according to the affidavit.

His girlfriend, who was with him at the time, told police she did not know where Harmony was, according to the affidavit.

The search for Harmony continues, as police are urging anyone with information to contact its dedicated tip line. Manchester Chief Allen Aldenberg told reporters Monday police are assuming she is “alive and well somewhere,” and that he hasn’t seen anything to suggest otherwise yet.

“This is not a recovery,” Aldenberg said during a press briefing. “All efforts are focused on that Harmony is alive, and we are going to do everything we can to find her in that condition.”

Part of the investigation will involve determining why it took over two years for Harmony to be reported missing, he said.

“I want to focus on locating her now and dedicating all of our efforts to that,” the chief said. “If there was some flaw in the system, I’m not saying there was, but if there was, where was it and how’s it going to be addressed?”

Harmony was reunited with her father after spending time in foster care in Massachusetts, ABC Manchester affiliate WMUR reported, citing a source close to the child. New Hampshire Division of Children, Youth and Families officials told WMUR that contact with the family is gradually reduced after reunification.

“It’s difficult to account for what happened when we are not engaged with the family,” Joe Ribsam, the agency’s director, told WMUR. “What’s important to figure out right now is what has been happening with this young girl for the past few years.”

A reward for information leading to Harmony has reached $43,000.

“More than two years have passed since Harmony was last seen,” Aldenberg said. “That puts us at a disadvantage, and the public’s help is greatly needed.”

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(NEW YORK) — As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 827,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 62% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jan 05, 9:02 pm
CDC signs off on Pfizer boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the final go-ahead for children ages 12 to 15 to get Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster.

“It is critical that we protect our children and teens from COVID-19 infection and the complications of severe disease,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement endorsing the CDC advisory panel’s recommendation to expand booster eligibility.

The CDC recommends that adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 get a Pfizer booster five months after their second dose.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Jan 05, 8:03 pm
Every cruise ship operating in US with passengers has COVID-19 cases: CDC

COVID-19 cases have been reported on every cruise ship operating or planning to operate in U.S. waters with passengers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 90 ships are currently being investigated by the CDC or have been investigated and are still being observed by the agency.

In order to meet the threshold for a CDC investigation, a ship must report COVID-19 cases in more than 0.10% of passengers or have a single crew member test positive in the previous seven days.

The only ships in U.S. waters that have not met this criteria, according to the CDC, only have crew members on board.

-ABC News’ Mina Kaji

Jan 05, 7:48 pm
LA County requires businesses to provide N95, KN95 masks to indoor employees

The Los Angeles County Department of Health updated its COVID-19 safety measures Wednesday and mandated that all of the county’s businesses must provide N95 or KN95 masks to employees who work indoors.

“Well-fitting medical grade masks, and surgical masks,” are also acceptable under the order.

“Everyone needs to be sensible about how to protect themselves and those they love by layering on protections whenever around non-household members,” LA County’s health director, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, said in a statement. “At work, this means upgrading your mask if you work indoors and you are in contact with other workers or members of the public.”

Jan 05, 5:41 pm
CDC panel votes yes on boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel voted Wednesday to approve COVID-19 boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will likely to sign off on the move later Wednesday night.

Shots could go into arms as soon as Thursday morning. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer boosters on Monday, paving the way for the CDC’s final green light.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Jan 05, 5:14 pm
2022 Grammy Awards postponed due to omicron variant

The 2022 Grammy Awards have been postponed due to the surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the omicron variant.

“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, thx have postponed the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show,” CBS and the Recording Academy said in a joint statement.

The statement continued, “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority.  Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31 simply contains too many risks.”

A future date for the Grammys has yet to be announced.

The awards show was scheduled to be held at the Arena in Los Angeles and hosted by “The Daily Show’s” Trevor Noah.

This is the second year in a row that the Grammys has been postponed. Last year, the show was held in March after its original date was canceled in January.

Jan 05, 4:05 pm
COVID vaccinations in US drop 42% over last three weeks

The number of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. has declined over the last three weeks despite the surging number of cases due to the omicron variant.

In the past, surges have driven Americans to get vaccinated. However, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the average number of total doses administered has fallen 42% since Dec. 14.

An average of 304,000 Americans are currently receiving their first dose every day and 165,000 are reaching “full vaccination” status.

This is a drop from three weeks prior, when 455,000 were getting their first dose every day and 402,000 were reaching “full vaccination” status.

Additionally, the average number of people receiving booster shots every day has declined to 623,000 from more than one million.

A total of 67.4 million eligible Americans — aged five and older — remain completely unvaccinated.

-ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Jan 05, 3:17 pm
Testing company detects 1st case of ‘flurona’ in California

A testing company confirmed Wednesday the first known case in Southern California of “flurona,” in which someone is infected with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.

911 COVID Testing told KABC the case was detected at the Getty Center in Brentwood — a suburban neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles — in a teenage boy.

The minor was returning from vacation with his family in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Steve Farzam, the testing company’s chief operating officer, said the patient has symptoms but was not hospitalized. Since his test, one of his parents has also tested positive for COVID-19, but not the flu.

Jan 05, 1:32 pm
White House confident it can deliver 500 million COVID tests this month

The White House said Wednesday it is confident it can deliver millions of rapid COVID-19 tests to Americans in January.

Last month, the administration announced it was planning to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid tests across the country to combat the surging omicron variant.

However, a website has yet to be launched where people can order the tests and the U.S. is currently producing less than half of the tests needed — 200 million a month.

During a virtual briefing, Jeff Zients, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, said the government not only has the capacity to deliver 500 million tests, but it also won’t dip into the current supply on pharmacy shelves.

“With all the companies that now have been authorized, there’s the capacity for the U.S. government to purchase the 500 million now and not disrupt, or in any way cannibalize, the tests that are on pharmacy shelves and on websites and used and other settings,” he said.

-ABC News’ Cheyenne Haslett

Jan 05, 12:31 pm
CDC says it’s not changing definition of ‘fully vaccinated’

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday the definition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is not changing to include booster shots.

“Individuals are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they’ve received their primary series. That definition is not changing,” she said during a virtual briefing of the White House COVID-19 Response Team.

This means Americans are considered fully vaccinated if they have gotten two shots of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna vaccine or one shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

However, Walensky did urge those who have been fully vaccinated to stay “up to date” on additional doses they may be eligible for based on their age and which vaccine they received.

Jan 05, 12:30 pm
NY COVID hospitalizations surpass 10,000 for 1st time in 20 months

COVID-19-related hospitalizations in New York surpassed 10,000 for the first time since the early days of the pandemic.

As of Tuesday, there are 10,411 people hospitalized statewide with the virus, which is the highest figure seen since May 2020.

About 1,300 patients are currently in intensive care units.

Unvaccinated New Yorkers are more likely to be hospitalized than those who are fully vaccinated. During the week ending Dec. 20, unvaccinated people were hospitalized at a rate of 30.01 per 100,000 compared to a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated people, according to state data.

Jan 05, 11:29 am
1 in 15 people in England tested positive for COVID last week

About 1 in 15 people in England tested positive for COVID-19 in the week ending Dec. 31, 2021, according to new data published Wednesday by the UK’s Office of National Statistics — a jump from 1 in 25 the week before.

This means that an estimated 3,270,800 people in the country caught the virus last week, with the most infections occurring among those between ages 17 and 24, the ONS said.

Additionally, 1 in 20 people contracted COVID last week in Scotland and Wales as did 1 in 25 people in Northern Ireland.

The ONS noted that these estimates do not include people who tested positive in “hospitals, care homes and/or other communal establishments.”

Jan 05, 10:37 am
NY COVID hospitalizations surpass 10,000 for 1st time in 20 months

COVID-19-related hospitalizations in New York surpassed 10,000 for the first time since the early days of the pandemic.

As of Tuesday, there are 10,411 people hospitalized statewide with the virus, which is the highest figure seen since May 2020.

About 1,300 patients are currently in intensive care units.

Unvaccinated New Yorkers are more likely to be hospitalized than those who are fully vaccinated. During the week ending Dec. 20, unvaccinated people were hospitalized at a rate of 30.01 per 100,000 compared to a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 for fully vaccinated people, according to state data.

Jan 05, 9:41 am
Poland’s president tests positive for COVID for 2nd time

Polish President Andrzej Duda tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday.

This is the second time Duda has contracted the virus. He previously tested positive in October 2020.

“The president is fine, has no severe symptoms and is under constant medical care,” Pawel Szrot, Head of the Cabinet, tweeted Wednesday.

Szrot said Duda is fully vaccinated and received a booster shot last month.

Jan 05, 6:55 am
Michigan governor isolating after husband’s positive test

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was isolating after her husband, Dr. Marc Mallory, tested positive for COVID-19, her office said in a statement.

Whitmer’s office said the governor tested negative on Tuesday using a rapid test. She was awaiting the results of a PCR test.

“Thankfully, the entire family is fully vaccinated and boosted, so the governor has not tested positive and is not experiencing symptoms,” Whitmer’s office said in a statement. “Until the PCR test comes back, the governor is isolating in a separate area of the house and has taken steps to complete contact tracing to keep others safe.”

Jan 05, 2:43 am
Chicago cancels classes after teachers vote for remote learning

Chicago Public Schools canceled its Wednesday classes after the Chicago Teachers Union voted against in-person learning amid a wave of COVID-19 cases.

All classes, both in-person and virtual, and all after-school activities have been cancelled.

“I understand your frustration and deeply regret this interruption to your child’s learning,” said Pedro Martinez, chief executive of the schools. “We want out children back in their classrooms as soon as possible and will continue working with the CTU to reach an agreement that addressed their concerns and that is in the best interest of all in our CPS community, especially our children.” 

About 88% of the union’s leadership and 73% of members voted on Tuesday to return to remote education, the union said in a statement.

“To the parents and guardians of this city, we want you to know that when you put your children in our care we put their well-being and safety first,” the union said in a statement. “We fight for your children like they are our own, because they are. As this pandemic continues, we will do everything in our power to ensure that our classrooms are the safest and healthiest places for your children to learn, thrive and grow.”

Teachers were being locked out of their Google Classrooms, the union said on Twitter.

Jan 05, 1:49 am
Mayo Clinic lays off 1% of staff for vaccine noncompliance

Mayo Clinic said it will lay off about 1% of its staff for failing to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by a company deadline.

“While Mayo Clinic is saddened to lose valuable employees, we need to take all steps necessary to keep our patients, workforce, visitors and communities safe. If individuals released from employment choose to get vaccinated at a later date, the opportunity exists for them to apply and return to Mayo Clinic for future job openings,” Mayo Clinic said in a statement to ABC.

Last October, Mayo Clinic had set a Jan. 3 deadline for all employees to get at least their first vaccine dose or face dismissal.

The health care organization said the number of staffers being let go was “comparable to what other health care organizations have experienced in implementing similar vaccine requirement programs.”

Mayo Clinic employs about 73,000 people, according to its website.

Jan 04, 7:53 pm
FDA: Do not swab your throat with at-home COVID-19 tests

The FDA is warning people not to swab their throats as part of an at-home COVID-19 test.

In a statement obtained by ABC News, the FDA said that is not how the tests were designed and it could pose a safety concern.

“The FDA advises that COVID-19 tests should be used as authorized, including following their instructions for use regarding obtaining the sample for testing,” the statement said.

Social media posts promoting at-home COVID-19 rapid test swabbing techniques claim that throat swabs collect a better sample. However, this hasn’t been proven for currently authorized tests.

– ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(WASHINGTON) — At least seven historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats Tuesday afternoon and evening, according to school officials. The threats forced campuses to lockdown or evacuate and local law enforcement was alerted.

All of the schools have since sent out all-clear alerts to their students, staff and community.

NSU Police Dept. completed investigation of a bomb threat received Tuesday evening and issued an “All Clear.” Students have been secured in a hotel and dorms remain closed until 8 AM Wednesday. NSU Police and authorities secured campus. For emergencies, call NSU at 757-823-9000. pic.twitter.com/Przq4fOzA0

— Norfolk State University (@Norfolkstate) January 5, 2022

No bombs were found on the campuses of Florida Memorial University, North Carolina Central University, Prairie View A&M University, The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Florida Memorial University, Norfolk State University and Xavier University of Louisiana.

All clear. Howard’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) and MPD responded to a potential bomb threat on campus this afternoon. The perimeter was secured and searched. No active devices were found and the area has been cleared.

— Howard University (@HowardU) January 4, 2022

Students were transported to hotels but on-campus classes had not yet resumed for several of the schools following the holiday break. Several said they will continue to work with law enforcement to investigate the threats.

“Florida Memorial University takes matters of this nature seriously,” the university said in a statement to ABC News. “The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and visitors is the university’s main priority. Campus security will continue to work with all involved agencies as the investigation remains ongoing.”

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(HOUSTON) — Houston police are investigating a New Year’s Day shooting that wounded a 4-year-old girl, identified by her family as Arianna Delane, a niece of George Floyd, the unarmed Black killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020.

Derrick Delane, the child’s father, told ABC Houston station KTRK that the family’s apartment was hit several times by gunfire, some which entered the second story where she was sleeping.

“My daughter jumped up and said, ‘Daddy, I’ve been hit,’ and I was shocked until I seen the blood and I realized my 4-year-old daughter was really hit,” he said.

Houston police said “a suspect or suspects fired several shots” into the apartment on Yellowstone Boulevard around 2:55 a.m. but didn’t identify any victims by name. Four adults and two children were inside.

Detectives A. Carroll and J. Roberts said in a statement on Tuesday that a juvenile female was “struck in the torso” and she was “transported in a private vehicle to an area hospital where she underwent surgery and is currently in stable condition.”

The family said Arianna, who was driven to the hospital by her mother, was hit in the lung and in the liver, with the shots breaking three of her ribs.

Delane said he immediately called 911 after the shooting, but officers didn’t show up until nearly 7 a.m.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said in a statement on Tuesday that HPD has launched an internal investigation into the delayed response time.

“I am aware and have concerns regarding the delayed response time in this incident and have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation,” Finner said. “I ask the city continue to pray for the child’s full recovery and assist in providing information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect or suspects responsible.”

Police said on Tuesday that they didn’t have a motive for the shooting or descriptions of potential suspects.

Delane told KTRK that he believes that the family’s home was targeted.

“Why would my house get shot up?” he said. “My daughter don’t know. I can’t explain that to her. As the father, you’re supposed to protect the kids.”

The apartment that was sprayed with gunfire is where the Floyd family gathered in April 2021 to watch the verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering Floyd and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison in June.

The HPD didn’t immediately respond to ABC News when asked whether the home could have been targeted.

Authorities are urging anyone with information regarding the shooting to contact the HPD Major Assaults & Family Violence Division at 713-308-8800 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

ABC News’ Gina Sunseri, Marilyn Heck and Izzy Alvarez contributed to this report.

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