Our Top 5 Stories for the Week of December 20, 2021

Updated December 26, 2021 | Infoplease Staff

It’s been a busy week, from various flight cancellations to holiday tragedies . Who has time to keep track of it all? That’s why we’ve boiled it all down to our top four stories of the week.

Coronavirus Updates for December 20

Photo Source: AP Photo/David Zalubowski

• Notable People Test Positive as Cases Rise: On Monday, December 20, as the CDC warned that US Christmas travel will increase the spread of the Omicron variant, Democrats Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Jason Crow announced that they all have contacted Covid. Officials worry that the new variant is fast spreading and will only get worse as the holiday season continues.^[1] Cases were so high on Friday, December 24, that over 2,000 flights were cancelled worldwide as staff and crew called out sick. At least 465 flights were scheduled to move through, into, and out of the US.^[2] Earlier in the week, a hospital in Cleveland released a newspaper ad that simply read “Help” as the largest hospital in the area reached capacity and an overwhelmed staff.^[3] On Saturday, December 25, research showed that the Omicron Variant has resulted in more Covid cases than previous variants; however, hospitalizations thankfully remain lower. Unfortunately, there are still some areas in the country that are seeing an increase in hospitalizations. Just yesterday, more than 69,000 people were hospitalized with Covid-19. Despite these numbers, scientists have yet to officially determine whether the Omicron variant results in a less severe illness or not.^[4]
• Restrictions Put Back in Place: Many countries put restrictions back in place as cases rose the week of December 20.
  • Jails: On Tuesday, December 21, the Justice Department announced that thousands of inmates who were released from prison due to Covid will be allowed to remain in home confinement. Nearly 36,000 inmates were released due to the pandemic, 25,000 of whom completed their sentences during the last two years.^[5] The next day, it was reported that NYC’s Rikers Island has seen an explosion of Covid cases in inmates. The number of cases has been around 1%, but in the last 10 days, it has risen to 9.5%.^[6]
  • Spain: On Wednesday, December 21, Spain announced new measures which will require masks outdoors as Covid cases continue to soar. The rule, which was dropped only six months ago, was reinstated after the country saw a record 49,823 cases on Tuesday. The Omicron variant is suspected to be contributed to over half the cases. Catalonia also imposed a strict lockdown.^[7]
  • China: On Wednesday, December 21, Xi’an, China announced another stay-at-home order after the city saw a record 143 cases in 24 hours. Only one person per household is allowed to leave for essential goods every two days. The ruling follows China’s strict zero-Covid policy.^[8]
  • Canada: On Wednesday, December 20, Canada announced plans to extend its economic support program after it announced another shutdown due to the Omicron variant. Canada saw 11,300 new cases the previous day. Government officials have also been testing positive recently.^[9]
• New Countries Added to Level 4: On Saturday, December 25, two of the world’s wealthiest nations - Monaco and San Marino - as well as Finland and Lebanon were added to the CDC’s Level 4 High Risk category. In response to the skyrocketing Covid cases, many countries have also announced cancelled New Year’s Eve plans.^[10]
• Winter Olympics Update: On Wednesday, December 20, the NHL announced that it will not send players to the Winter Olympics. China still plans to move forward with the Olympics in February. The decision comes after the NHL put games on hold for a while as Covid cases continue to surge throughout the league.^[11]

Source: [1]CNN [2]CNN [3]CNN [4]CNN [5]CNN [6]CNN [7]BBC [8]BBC [9]BBC [10]CNN [11]BBC

Check out some more Covid resources.

Tragedies and Violence Continue into the Fourth Week of December

Photo Source: AP Photo/Richard Vogel

• Mall Shootings: On Thursday, December 23, a 14-year-old was killed after an officer’s stray bullet went through her dressing room wall at a California department store. LAPD has placed the officer who is suspected to have fired the shot on administrative leave. Officers were responding to a call regarding an assault with a deadly weapon at the store. The suspect had allegedly already shot a few people before engaging in gunfire with LA officers.^[1] On Thursday, December 23, three women were left injured after a suspect opened fire on a Chicago mall. A 30-year-old suspect has been brought into custody with some injuries, but police believe at least one more suspect is at large.^[2]
• Police Officer Shot: On Friday, December 24, the Baltimore City Police Officer who was shot while in her patrol car earlier this week was taken off life support. Officer Keona Holley was a longtime cop in Baltimore, and was just sitting in her car when two suspects opened fire on the vehicle on December 16. The two suspects have been taken into custody and are also suspects in another homicide.^[3]
• Bouncy Castle Incident: On Sunday, December 19, the death toll in the tragic bouncy castle incident in Australia rose to 6. A few days earlier, a school event in Australia turned ugly after the bouncy castle blew into the air while children were on it. Nine children fell 32 feet from the air, with 6 of them succumbing to their injuries. The victims were between 11 and 12 years old.^[4]
• Bangladesh Ferry Fire: On Friday, December 24, at least 38 people were killed in a Bangladesh ferry fire. The fire is believed to have started from the engine room. More than 50 people have been admitted to the hospital, and officials believe the death toll will rise in the coming days.^[5]
• Sudan Protests Turn Violent: On Saturday, December 25, officers in Sudan fired tear gas into a crowd of pro-democracy protesters. This is the second time the demonstrators have converged on the presidential palace in Khartoum in the past week, except this time, they were met with heavy security. The military government had restricted internet and cellphone access earlier in the day. More than 100 people have been injured in clashes with the police.^[6]
• Greece Boat Fire: On Saturday, December 25, at least 16 people died after a boat overturned off the Greek island of Paros. Many of the ship’s occupants are thought to have been migrants. This is the third tragedy involving migrants in the last few months. Rescue missions have been ongoing.^[7]

Source: [1]CNN [2]CNN [3]CNN [4]CNN [5]CNN [6]BBC [7]CNN

Perfectly Preserved Dinosaur Embryo Found

Photo Source: BBC

On Wednesday, December 22, scientists in Ganzhou, China announced that they found a perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo, describing it to look almost like a chicken. According to the BBC, “It is believed to be a toothless theropod dinosaur, or oviraptorosaur, and has been named Baby Yingliang.” The discovery has shown scientists the connection between birds and dinosaurs, as they believe there is some evolution and relation between the two. The egg, which most likely was preserved by a mudslide, measures 6.7 inches long and Baby Yingliang is about 10.6 inches long from head to tail.
Source: BBC

Droughts and Intense Snow in Areas

Photo Source: AP Photo/Alren Beronio

• Typhoon Rai: On Monday, December 20, it was revealed that the death toll from Typhoon Rai rose to 208 people thus far, with officials believing it will only increase. The strong storm made landfall on Thursday and continues to wreak havoc, making it the strongest typhoon to hit this year.^[1]
• Myanmar Landslide: On Wednesday, December 22, a jade mine in Myanmar experienced a landslide, killing dozens after at least 80 people were swept away. Officials are at the site and conducting rescue missions.^[2]
• La Palma Explosion: On Saturday, December 25, Spain’s La Palma volcano’s eruption was officially declared over. The volcano has been spewing rock and ash for the last three months. More than 7.000 people have been forced to leave their homes in that time.^[3]

Source: [1]CNN [2]CNN [3]BBC