COVID-19 continues to sends waves of cancellations and delays. It’s an ongoing story of the same, as numbers continue to skyrocket with positive COVID-19 results. Dr. Fauci spoke to a news outlet Sunday and he acknowledged both Delta and Omicron were running neck and neck number-wise. According to the New York Times, most doctors can’t determine which variant of the virus the patient has. There are certain meds for Omicron diagnosed patients who have pre-existing conditions; however the meds are different for Delta, and vice versa.
This obstacle further complicates the process of trying to mitigate the virus. However, in Maryland cases are spiking, with Omicron accounting for nearly 60% of them.
“The delta variant is also holding strong in the Great Plains and swaths of the West, including California”
the new york times
Fauci also contends that people should be getting the vaccine and the booster so we can continue in the fight forthright. Children as young as five years old can get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which was approved by the FDA in October. However as far as the booster, the CDC is now recommending a five month gap for Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot; according to Reuters.
Over 5K Flights Cancelled Due to COVID-19
In the meantime, some schools have reverted back to virtual and hybrid learning to curve the spread of the virus, but now flights are having to be cancelled. Holiday travellers experienced a rude annoyance as flights were cancelled during the spike of Omicron and Delta. And now, we have the winter storm to thank for delayed travel now. On Monday, the eastern U.S. experienced a winter storm and at least twenty more flights were cancelled.
The most affected airlines are Southwest, American and United;due to their connections in the mid-Atlantic cities. Southwest, JetBlue, Delta and American Airlines each have over 100 cancelled flights since Sunday; according to CNN.
Winter Storm Travel Cancellations Further Complicate Things
According to FlightAware, more than 3,000 U.S. flights were cancelled on Monday and then another 5,600 were delayed because of the snow storms. The delay left some travellers stranded for days, in far-away cities from home; forcing them to pay for unexpected lodging, food and other necessities.
“There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed” according to the DOT.
Wow, that’s a bummer for DOT to operate that way during such a challenging time; however some airlines do offer ammenities during a crisis; but it’s not a global-wide policy.