NEW ORLEANS — Tulane University in New Orleans is delaying the start of its spring semester because of the latest surge in coronavirus cases, and another private school says students must get…
NEW ORLEANS — Tulane University in New Orleans is delaying the start of its spring semester because of the latest surge in coronavirus cases, and another private school says students must get booster shots before returning. The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate says Tulane has put the semester’s beginning back one week, to Jan.25. The report also says Loyola University is keeping its Jan.18 start for most classes and Jan.10 at its law school, but requiring both booster shots and proof of a negative coronavirus test. Loyola says students not yet eligible for a booster must get one six months after their basic vaccination. Louisiana’s Department of Health estimates that the omicron variant accounted for more than 84% of all coronavirus infections diagnosed in the week that ended Dec.18. ___ HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: Hospitals, police departments struggle to stay staffed as omicron infects workforces — Fear of infection takes back seat to food insecurity as pandemic pummels African economies — Coronavirus dampens Christmas joy in biblical Bethlehem Go to https://APNews.com/coronavirus-pandemic for updates throughout the day. ___ HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING TODAY: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California health officials say the omicron variant is evident in 50% to 70% of new coronavirus cases in parts of the most populous state heading into the holidays, with the state nearing a total of 5 million virus infections for the pandemic. The U.S. recorded its first confirmed omicron infection just three weeks ago in a San Francisco resident who had recently traveled to South Africa. On Friday, the state had 4,990,016 confirmed coronavirus cases to date and more than 75,000 deaths from COVID-19, the disease that can be caused by the virus. Case reporting is expected to lag because of the holidays. ___ JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Health officials in Missouri say the omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread across much of Missouri, according to wastewater testing data. The variant has now been detected at low levels in 15 of the 63 test locations, including in St Louis, Kansas City, Jefferson City, Columbia, Branson, St. Joseph, Union, Clinton, Warrensburg and Fulton. Jeff Wenzel at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services says the data released Friday is based on samples collected last week. He says that tests a week earlier detected the omicron variant in just St. Joseph and in the Kansas City area. Wenzel says that for now, though, the delta variant remains the dominant strain in Missouri. Federal health officials said Monday that nationally, omicron accounts for 73% of new infections. ___ MADRID — Spain’s King Felipe VI has warned citizens to remain cautious as the coronavirus can still inflict widespread damage. His annual Christmas Eve speech came amid a record number of infections in the country Friday. Spanish health authorities have reported three days in a row of record-breaking caseloads and have reinstituted mandatory mask-wearing in open spaces with few exceptions. “We all have to do everything possible not to take steps backwards in this health crisis that has caused so much suffering,” Felipe said. ___ ROME — Pope Francis has celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases that has prompted a new vaccine mandate for Vatican employees. A maskless Francis processed down the central aisle of the basilica Friday as the Sistine Chapel choir sang “Noel,” kicking off the Vatican’s Christmas holiday. For the second day in a row, Italy on Friday set a new pandemic daily record with 50,599 new cases. Another 141 people died, bringing the official death toll to 136,386. The Vatican secretary of state on Thursday imposed a new vaccine mandate on all Vatican staff, except those who have recovered from the coronavirus. The faithful attending Mass are required to wear masks. Francis, who is missing part of one lung and had intestinal surgery in July, has largely eschewed masks. He is believed to have received the third booster shot. ___ ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has defended her response to the coronavirus, insisting that the state acted early and did all it could against the omicron variant’s rapid spread. Hochul also told a news conference Friday that the state is shortening the amount of time essential workers must stay home after testing positive.
