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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 821,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.9% 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:

Dec 30, 5:34 am
UK plans surge hospitals as ‘war footing’ for omicron

Hospitals across England were setting up “Nightingale surge hubs,” temporary structures capable of handling 100 patients, as they prepared for a potential wave of omicron patients.

The United Kingdom’s National Health Service announced the plan on Thursday, a day after health officials recorded a new daily high for COVD-19 infections.

“Given the high level of COVID-19 infections and increasing hospital admissions, the NHS is now on a war footing,” NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said in a statement on Thursday.

The NHS said it would start with hubs at eight hospitals around the country. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said in a statement that an additional 4,000 beds could be added if necessary.

“We do not yet know exactly how many of those who catch the virus will need hospital treatment, but given the number of infections we cannot wait to find out before we act and so work is beginning from today to ensure these facilities are in place,” Powis said.

Dec 30, 4:14 am
UK, Italy, Greece report record new daily cases

The United Kingdom, Italy and Greece broke records on Wednesday for daily new COVID-19 cases, according to government health officials.

The Greek government reported a record increase for new cases for a third consecutive day with 28,828 new cases and 72 COVID-19-related deaths.

About 64.3% of the population is fully vaccinated and 26.5% have received a booster or third dose, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced on Wednesday that new restrictions will go into effect on Jan. 3, but Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper reported that the government has decided to put them into effect at 6 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Italian health authorities recorded another record increase on Wednesday with 98,0303 new COVID-19 cases and 148 deaths.

Semi-official ANSA reported Wednesday’s positivity rate is 9.5% and there are 1,185 patients in ICUs. About 51.7% of Italy’s residents are fully vaccinated and 24.9% have received a booster or 3rd dose, per the ECDC.

UK health officials recorded 183,037 new cases and 57 deaths. The record-setting new case number included five days of data from Northern Ireland, which last published data on Dec. 24, according to health officials.

About 82.3% of adults in the UK have received two vaccine doses and 57.5% have received a booster, according to government data.

-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou

Dec 29, 7:35 pm
Fauci backs CDC isolation recommendations

Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared on ABC News Live Wednesday and shared his thoughts on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to lower its recommended isolation period to five days for asymptomatic patients.

Fauci also said that while new evidence shows  omicron may be less severe than delta, people should still be cautious of contracting and spreading the virus.

“You can get people safely back out in a five day period so long as they wear a mask, if they are without symptoms. That is the science,” he told ABC News Live. “The impact of that is to try and not be in a situation where we essentially have to shut down the entire country.”

Fauci also said it would be too premature to be less worried based on evidence that omicron may be less severe.

“We are heartened by the fact that from the South African data, the data from the U.K., and the accumulating data in the United States that it looks like it is less severe,” he said. “It’s much more transmissible, which is something you need to take seriously.”

Dec 29, 6:10 pm
FDA authorizes 2 new at-home COVID-19 test kits

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization to two over-the-counter COVID-19 tests.

The tests are manufactured by SD Biosensor and Siemens.

“Combined, it is estimated the companies can produce tens of millions of tests per month for use in the U.S.,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

-ABC News’ Sony Salzman

Dec 29, 2:24 pm
4 Smithsonian locations closed

Four Smithsonian locations in Washington, D.C., have closed due to an increase in COVID-19 cases over the last few days.

The four museums — the National Museum of African Art, the National Postal Museum, the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of Asian Art — are expected to reopen Jan. 3.

The Smithsonian said the cases and quarantine periods impacted “essential and operational staff,” so these closures “will allow the Smithsonian to reallocate staff and keep all other museums open for the remainder of the week.”

The Smithsonian closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 and loccations started to reopen in May 2021.

-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — A jury has reached a verdict in the criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein who is facing charges related to the alleged abuse and trafficking of underage girls.

Maxwell faces a six-count indictment for allegedly conspiring with and aiding Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls between 1994 and 2004. She has been held without bail since her arrest in July 2020 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

If convicted, Maxwell could spend decades in prison.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Copyright © 2021, 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 821,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

About 61.9% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Latest headlines:
-3 Americans testing positive every second
-Fauci recommends against big New Year’s parties
-WHO concerned omicron, delta leading to ‘tsunami’ of cases
-US daily case average nearly triples in 1 month

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

Dec 29, 4:01 pm
3 Americans testing positive every second

The U.S. reported more than 1.9 million new cases this week, which equals about three Americans testing positive for COVID-19 every second.

The U.S. is now averaging 277,000 new cases each day, shattering the previous record average from Jan. 11, 2021, which was 250,000 cases each day, according to federal data.

Although this significantly high number is in large part due to the latest surge, it’s also attributable to the soaring demand for tests and backlogs of data following Christmas weekend.

ABC News’ Arielle Mitropoulos

Dec 29, 3:01 pm
30% of New York City’s EMS out on COVID sick leave

In New York City, 30% of emergency medical workers and 17% of firefighters are out on leave tied to COVID-19 — and the fire department is reminding New Yorkers to only call 911 in a true emergency.

“If you are not severely ill, allow first responders to assist those most in need,” the FDNY said in a video message.

Meanwhile, the New York Police Department has canceled regular days off for Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 due to COVID-19 and staffing needs for New Year’s Eve.

ABC News’ Mark Crudele, Aaron Katersky

Dec 29, 2:24 pm
4 Smithsonian locations closed

Four Smithsonian locations in Washington, D.C., have closed due to an increase in COVID-19 cases over the last few days.

The four museums — the National Museum of African Art, the National Postal Museum, the Anacostia Community Museum and the National Museum of Asian Art — are expected to reopen Jan. 3.

The Smithsonian said the cases and quarantine periods impacted “essential and operational staff,” so these closures “will allow the Smithsonian to reallocate staff and keep all other museums open for the remainder of the week.”

The Smithsonian closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 and loccations started to reopen in May 2021.

ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Dec 29, 2:00 pm
DC public school students, staff must test before returning to classrooms

All public school students and staff in Washington, D.C., must test when they return to the classroom after winter break.

Free rapid tests will be provided by the city to the over 90,000 students in the largest data collection D.C. has done since the pandemic began, Mayor Muriel Bowser said.

The tests will be distributed on Jan. 3 and Jan. 4. Families are asked to upload results to the city by Jan. 4 at 4 p.m.

“Any student that does not have their results loaded by Jan. 4, will not be allowed to attend school on Jan. 5,” school chancellor Lewis Ferebee told reporters.

Bowser told reporters, “We expect that we’re going to be in this winter surge for a few more weeks, so throughout January we’re going to have to maintain vigilance.”

ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Following a year of both extreme heat and drought, Lake Tahoe has seen a record-breaking amount of snow this December, according to the U.C. Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab.

The Tahoe area has seen 210 inches of snow since the beginning of the month, the lab, based in Soda Springs, California, reported Wednesday. That makes this month the third snowiest on record and the snowiest December ever, per tracking from the lab that started in 1970.

If weather modeling holds up, it’s possible December could also overtake the current No. 2 record holder, February 2019, which saw a whopping 221 inches of snow, Dr. Andrew Schwartz, who works at the lab, told ABC News.

According to data from the lab, typically about 110 inches of snow will have fallen by Jan. 1 in a given water year, which begins on Oct. 1. But, so far, 2021 has already seen 264 inches of snowfall, putting the region at 258% of its average for this point in the year and breaking the 51-year-old October through December snowfall record of 260 inches set in 1970.

California recorded its second driest water year on record in 2021, according to a report from the state’s Department of Water Resources. But there’s hope that the abnormal amount of snow the Sierra has seen could help break the state’s ongoing drought.

“The snowfall that we’ve received has given us an amazing start to the water year and developed a solid foundation for upcoming snow,” Schwartz said, “but we still need average or above average snowfall in the upcoming months for it to impact the drought.”

Schwartz added that the lab has recorded receiving 70% of its average annual snowfall already, “which is great because the remaining four months with snow only need to make up that remaining 30%.”

He cautioned, however, that if those months end up being dry, then California could end up short of its average snowfall and there won’t be any improvement in the drought at all.

The Sierra snowpack typically holds about a third of California’s water reservoirs, but several are still running lower than normal, even with the increased precipitation.

Data from the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has shown mild improvement in California’s drought, with 79% of the state in an extreme or exceptional drought as of Dec. 21, down from 88% three months ago.

“So, we’re off to an incredibly promising and exciting start,” Schwartz said, “but we need some cautious optimism going forward.”

ABC News’ Hope Osemwenkhae and Daniel Manzo contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — Jury deliberations in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial resumed Wednesday morning. Maxwell was walked partway into the courtroom around 9:25 a.m., wearing a burgundy turtleneck and clutching a green folio.

While the trial is in its 18th day, the jury has deliberated for about 37 hours. And it appears that the jury is no rush to render a verdict before the New Year’s holiday.

The jury, which told Judge Alison Nathan at the end of the day Tuesday, that it was “in a good place,” sent a note to the judge Wednesday morning.

“May we please have the following transcripts,” the note said before listing several names: Shawn, Cimberly Espinoza, Amanda Young and Jason Richards.

When Nathan stepped off the bench after addressing the first note, Maxwell and defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim had a close conversation while standing. Maxwell’s sleeves were rolled up and her hands were clasped behind her back. A short time later she was huddled with her other attorneys, seated at the defense table.

“May we please have the Larry Visoski testimony?” the jury also asked in a note.

Visoski, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s private pilots, was the very first witness for the prosecution. He recalled accuser “Jane” on Epstein’s plane, along with her “piercing powder blue eyes.”

The jury has now asked for transcripts of testimony from a third of the witnesses.

Shawn was the boyfriend of an alleged Maxwell victim, identified only as Carolyn.

Espinoza was the first witness called by the defense. She was Maxwell’s assistant in 1996 in Epstein’s New York office. This is the first time the defense has asked for testimony from a defense witness.

Amanda Young and Jason Richards are both FBI agents on the Epstein-Maxwell case. The defense called the two agents to testify about inconsistent statements by the accusers.

In the same note, jurors also asked about their own schedules.

“May we have clarification regarding our schedule going forward. Are we required to continue our deliberations everyday including 12/31 and 1/1? We ask in order to plan our schedules accordingly,” the note said.

Jurors asked for testimony from an additional witness but neither the judge nor the lawyers could read the name. Upon clarification, the jury asked for the transcript of Elizabeth Loftus, the defense expert witness who testified about the frailty of memory.

Regarding the schedule, the judge said she would tell jurors that deliberations would continue as needed every day going forward, including Dec. 31, Jan. 1 and Jan. 2, until there’s a verdict.

The judge said jurors could inform the court of a “substantial hardship because of unmovable commitments” but otherwise the judge said deliberations would continue uninterrupted by the holiday.

“By this I don’t mean to pressure you. You should take all the time that you need,” Judge Alison Nathan said in her reply.

Nathan cited the “high likelihood that a necessary member of the trial participants or one or more members of the jury would need to quarantine for ten days should they test positive.” She said that would result in “a substantial delay.”

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(ATLANTA) — Georgia is planning to deploy the National Guard to hospitals and testing sites as the state set a single-day record for COVID-19 cases.

Over the next few days, the Georgia Department of Community Health said it will provide troop assignments depending on the centers that are in need of the most assistance.

Additionally, Gov. Brian Kemp will speak with nine hospital systems in the state Wednesday to determine where the most help is needed.

A spokesperson for Kemp’s office told WSB-TV there is not yet a breakdown of where troops will be sent.

It comes as Georgia recorded 13,670 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases Tuesday, the most reported in a single day and shattering the previous record of 10,165 set on Jan. 8.

Rising cases have led to an increased demand for testing. Drive-up centers have seen cars lined up for blocks with people waiting several hours to be screened.

Dr. Lynn Paxton, head of the Fulton County Board of Health, which includes Atlanta, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the National Guard will help reduce the long waits for testing.

“Basically, the cavalry is coming in,” she said.

The governor’s office told WSB-TV it is encouraging to see data suggesting fully vaccinated people with a booster shot are well-protected and — if they do suffer a breakthrough infection — tend to develop only mild symptoms.

Kemp, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, continues to ask residents to get their shots, but is not planning to institute any vaccine or mask mandates.

“He will continue to urge Georgians to talk with their doctors about the benefits of getting the vaccine or receiving their booster shot,” a spokesperson for Kemp said in a statement.

“Ultimately, he feels that we must trust our citizens to do what’s right for themselves and their families. He will not be implementing any measures that shutter businesses or divide the vaccinated from the unvaccinated or the masked from the unmasked.”

Kemp’s office did not immediately reply to ABC News’ request for comment.

This is not the first time that Georgia has asked for the National Guard’s help.

In August, during the state’s delta-fueled surge, Kemp deployed more than 2,500 National Guard troops to Georgia hospitals overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.

The recent rising number of cases also led to Atlanta canceling the annual Peach Drop — Georgia’s New Year’s Eve ball drop celebration. Additionally, Emory University announced that spring semester classes will be remote until at least Jan. 31.

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