Click here to subscribe to the daily brief.

January 10, 2022 - Brief Issue 272

The Coronavirus Daily Brief is a daily news and analysis roundup edited by New America’s International Security Program and Arizona State University.

On January 11, join New America for a discussion of Guantanamo as it marks 20 years as a detention camp in the war on terror. RSVP Here.

Please consider making a donation to support our ongoing analysis of the most important news and headlines surrounding Covid-19.​

Top Headlines

Omicron Ushers in New, Disorienting Phase of the Pandemic in U.S. (Health & Science)

Hospitalizations and Deaths Increase in Some Parts of U.S. (Health & Science)

Labs Limit Test Access (Health & Science)

China’s Xi’an in Longest Lockdown Since Early Pandemic; Tianjin Begins Mass Testing as Omicron Emerges (Around the World)

U.S., Japan Agree to Contain Troops to Base (Around the World)

Norway to Give Used Underwear to Military (Around the World)

Supreme Court Hears Federal Vaccine Mandate Arguments, Signs Conservative Majority Not Sympathetic to the Mandate (U.S. Government & Politics)

Treasury to Shift $1 Billion in Rental Aid to High Demand States, Cities; U.S. to Provide $10 Billion for Small Businesses (U.S. Government & Politics)

CDC Director Aims to Reshape Messaging After Criticism (U.S. Government & Politics)

Many Americans’ Finances Improved Over the Pandemic (U.S. Economy)

2021 Saw Record Job and Wage Growth, But Records May Mislead (U.S. Economy)

Supply Chain Issues Leave New Homes Unfinished (U.S. Economy)

Colleges Shift to Online Courses Due to Omicron (U.S. Society)

Omicron and Weather Combined to Create a Cancellation Crisis for Airlines (U.S. Society)

Health & Science

There have been 60,090,637 coronavirus cases in the United States, and 837,664 people have died (Johns Hopkins). The United States has administered 519,335,422 vaccine doses, with 74.3% of all Americans having received at least one vaccine dose and 62.5% fully vaccinated. Among adults aged 18 or older 86.4% have received at least one dose, and 73.2% are fully vaccinated (U.S. CDC). 36.3% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster shot. Worldwide, there have been 307,300,338 cases of coronavirus, with 5,489,929 deaths.

Omicron Ushers in New, Disorienting Phase of the Pandemic in U.S.

As the Omicron variant surges throughout the country, Americans are facing another phase of the pandemic that is different from previous waves, causing many to recalibrate their understanding of the virus. Omicron is more transmissible than previous variants, but appears to cause milder symptoms in many people. Hospitalizations have skyrocketed in many states, but many of those were hospitalized for other reasons while also testing positive for Covid. The CDC halved the recommended isolation period for those who test positive to only five days while also suggesting that people wear medical-grade masks. “Omicron has turned, quickly, into something that is just different,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s top health official (NYT). As a result, local officials and individuals have been trying to sort out their response to the variant on their own and with varying degrees of indifference and caution. While lockdowns seem a thing of the past, severe labor shortages due to employees being sidelined with the variant keeps life far from normal. Bonus Read: “Omicron could have a silver lining by boosting immunity, some experts say. But don’t bet on it,” (WaPo).

Hospitalizations and Deaths Increase in Some Parts of U.S.

The Omicron variant became dominant in the U.S. the week before Christmas and now data from some of the earliest-hit cities is showing its impact. In New York, Boston, and Chicago, deaths have followed the country’s earliest Omicron surges at a slightly reduced scale compared to previous peaks. But “because of the extraordinarily high case count, even a proportionally lower death toll from the current case curve in the United States could be devastating,” writes the New York Times. The number of Covid-19 patients who need intensive care or ventilation is approaching levels not seen since last winter and the sheer number of patients is overwhelming hospitals. Hospitals are also facing the variant sweeping through their own staff. Early data from New York City shows that the gap in hospitalizations between those who are vaccinated versus those who are unvaccinated grew even wider during the Omicron surge (WaPo). The vast majority of Omicron patients who require intensive care are unvaccinated or have compromised immune systems.

Labs Limit Test Access

As demand for Covid-19 tests climbs, some laboratories have started to ration access to tests by giving priority to people with symptoms or other health concerns (WSJ). While prioritizing eligibility for testing can help patients who need treatment quickly are sure to get it, the strategy also risks contributing to the virus’s spread if some people are unable to get tested. The sheer volume of tests also means that oftentimes, results are not returned for a few days, which also makes the tests less helpful. Bonus Read: “How Reliable Are Covid-19 Rapid Tests for Detecting Omicron?” (WSJ).

Bonus Read: “Don’t Work Out With Covid-19, at the Gym or Anywhere Else,” (WSJ).

Around the World

Asia 

China’s Xi’an in Longest Lockdown Since Early Pandemic; Tianjin Begins Mass Testing as Omicron Emerges

Xi’an, a city of 13 million people, has been under a citywide lockdown since Dec. 22, the longest one in China since the first lockdown in Wuhan almost two years ago. China has taken a zero-covid strategy and is the last country in the world to continue with that policy. Officials are using aggressive tactics to contain the virus. Tens of thousands of people in Xi’an have been sent to centralized quarantine facilities and compulsory testing. There have been many reports of residents being unable to get medical care, including a woman who was eight months pregnant and lost the baby because she could not provide proof that she did not have Covid-19 (NYT). Food shortages have also been reported. “It’s extremely painful that problems like this have occurred and we feel deep remorse,” said Sun Chunlan, a vice premier overseeing the central government’s efforts, according to Chinese state media. “This has revealed sloppiness in prevention and control efforts, and the lessons are profound.”

On Sunday, officials in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin, near Beijing, announced that the entire population of 14 million would be tested for coronavirus after twenty residents recently tested positive, and at least two of them were infected with the Omicron variant (NYT). Li Hongzhong, the Communist Party secretary for Tianjin, said that the city would “fulfill to the utmost” its role as a “moat” protecting Beijingnahead of the Winter Olympics, official news outlets reported. Neither of the two people with identified cases of the Omicron variant had traveled outside of Tianjin, worrying officials and prompting some to publicly wonder if it had been spreading in the community for some time undetected (Reuters). 

India Bans Election Rallies as Cases Climb

Coronavirus cases in India have soared across most of the country in recent weeks, fueled mostly by the Omicron variant. India recorded 160,000 cases on Sunday, with “new cases rising sixfold in one week,” according to the New York Times. As a result of the sharp uptick in cases, the election commission has banned all public campaign rallies for one week. “Political parties and candidates are advised to conduct their campaign as much as possible through digital and virtual media platforms,” said Sushil Chandra, India’s chief election commissioner. 

U.S., Japan Agree to Contain Troops to Base 

On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that Japan and the U.S. reached “a basic agreement” banning the U.S. military from leaving the grounds of the base due to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus (Politico). Soldiers will stay on base “except when absolutely necessary,” said Kishida. New Covid cases rose to over 8,000 on Saturday, a four-month high, and the spike has been blamed on the U.S. military because cases have increased the most in areas near the bases.

Europe

Norway to Give Used Underwear to Military

In Norway, military recruits are being asked to wear previously used undergarments, including socks, bras, and underwear, due to supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic (WaPo). At first, the plan to reuse undergarments was voluntary, but officials have now made it mandatory that all clothing and equipment be handed over for reuse upon graduation, according to Norwegian state broadcaster NRK. Norway has had compulsory military service for men and women since 2015 and about 8,000 recruits complete the program each year.  

Bonus Read: “Europe’s Workers See Living Costs Rise, but Pay Isn’t Keeping Pace,” (WSJ).

U.S. Government & Politics

Supreme Court Hears Federal Vaccine Mandate Arguments, Signs Conservative Majority Not Sympathetic to the Mandate

On Friday, the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding two challenges to the federal vaccine mandate (Politico). Politico reports that the questions from the court’s conservative justices, who form a majority, suggest the mandate may be in danger. Politico writes, “Most of the conservative justices sounded sympathetic to business interests and Republican-led states trying to block the broadest rule, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard covering firms with more than 100 employees, but liberal justices sounded flabbergasted at the arguments that the rules should be halted amid the latest, huge wave of infection.” Justice Clarence Thomas, for example, stated, “The vaccine’s been around quite some time. Covid’s been around even longer,” adding, “The government could have had notice and comment.” Politico notes, “Among the six Republican-appointed justices, only Chief Justice John Roberts, nominated by President George W. Bush, sounded open to allowing the OSHA rule to take effect. But as the arguments progressed, Roberts seemed more skeptical about the Biden administration's power to act without specific legislation from Congress.”

Liberal justices, however, sounded firm in support of the mandate. Justice Breyer, said, “There are three quarters of a million new cases yesterday. … That’s ten times as many as when OSHA put this rule in,” adding, “The hospitals are today, yesterday, full almost to the point of the maximum they’ve ever been with this disease. … I would find it unbelievable that it could be in the public interest to suddenly stop these vaccinations.”

Treasury to Shift $1 Billion in Rental Aid to High Demand States, Cities; U.S. to Provide $10 Billion for Small Businesses

On Friday, the Treasury Department announced that it will shift $1.1 billion in unused rental aid to states and cities that used the money from the first round of aid quickly (Politico). Politico writes, “California, New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia will each receive tens of millions of dollars pulled from governments with low disbursement rates. Numerous cities, towns and tribes will also receive additional money as Treasury reallocates unspent funds from the first $25 billion pot of the $46.5 billion rental relief program authorized by Congress to keep people housed during Covid-19.” The Treasury Department said 75% of the transfers were voluntarily made within states.

Meanwhile, the U.S. plans to disburse $10 billion in aid to small businesses as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal writes, “The money comes from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus-aid package Congress passed last March. The Treasury Department expects disbursement to begin in the first quarter of 2022. The states and other recipients have the flexibility to design their program offerings as they see fit, within parameters set by the Treasury Department.” The Journal notes that the rollout will come even as much of the rest of the Biden administration’s budget agenda is stalled in Congress.

CDC Director Aims to Reshape Messaging After Criticism

On Friday, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky held her first solo press conference on the pandemic, an action that comes as she adjusts her messaging strategy amid criticism from within and outside the administration (WaPo). The Washington Post writes, “The briefing comes at a precarious moment for Walensky, a highly regarded infectious-diseases physician who has come under intense criticism for failing to communicate CDC’s often-changing guidance clearly.” Among the notable criticism was the American Medical Association’s “uncharacteristically sharp critique” of the decision to allow to exit the CDC’s now-shortened Covid-isolation period without a negative test. The group wrote, “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.”

According to the Post, there has also been criticism inside the administration: “Inside the administration, frustration has also been mounting. Officials acknowledge the rapidly changing virus complicates the pandemic response, but some worry Walensky’s public statements have only added to many Americans’ confusion. At times, her guidance has also been at odds with that of other senior administration officials, most notably, that of Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser.” An administration official told the Post that Walenksy had received months of media training from Democratic media consultant Mandy Grunwald.

DeSantis Defends Allowing Covid Test Stockpile to Expire

On Friday, Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis defended his decision to allow a state stockpile of up to a million rapid Covid tests to expire (Politico). Politico writes, “Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie admitted during a Thursday press conference that the tests expired, and DeSantis on Friday sought to explain why the state didn’t distribute them. DeSantis has argued that the stockpile resulted from a lack of demand in the later part of 2021 and blamed President Joe Biden’s administration for not granting extensions to keep the tests eligible — something it did in September for three months.” DeSantis stated, “Basically, the way they [the federal government] do this is they always want to have enough tests if people need them, they send them down … the results of that is we had a stockpile, but no one really wanted them for many, many months.”

Pelosi Invites Biden to Give State of the Union on March 1st

On Friday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi invited President Biden to provide the State of the Union on March 1 (Politico). The invitation noted recent economic support efforts and the role of the pandemic as an important crisis. The invitation comes as Biden has struggled to get parts of his agenda through Congress.

U.S. Economy

Many Americans’ Finances Improved Over the Pandemic

The Wall Street Journal reports that for many Americans, their finances improved over the course of the pandemic in large part thanks to stimulus efforts (WSJ). The Journal writes, “The first two rounds of stimulus payments lifted 11.7 million people out of poverty, according to the Census Bureau. Americans built up $2.7 trillion in extra savings. Some expect that, combined with rising wages, to provide them with lasting stability despite the return to more normal spending patterns and rising inflation.” People may have also spent less, and savings as a result of increased income from stimulus payments and increased savings increased as a result. The Journal writes, “The personal saving rate—a measure of how much money people have left over after spending and taxes—hit a record 33.8% in April 2020, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The rate averaged just under 8% for the two years before the pandemic began.” However, the Journal also sounds a cautionary note, writing, “Not everyone benefited equally, and some say the future already looks more tenuous. The federal government’s stimulus checks, expanded unemployment insurance and monthly child tax credit have ended, and the pause on payments and interest on student loans will end soon.”

2021 Saw Record Job and Wage Growth, But Records May Mislead

In 2021, the United States saw record growth in jobs, adding 6.4 million jobs over the year, while also setting a record for wage increases with hourly wages rising by $1.46 (WaPo, WSJ). However, the Washington Post warns, “the numbers on their own can be downright misleading.” The Post writes, “The 6.4 million jobs gained this year, while a record in absolute terms, represents only a 4.5 percent increase in the workforce. That’s smaller than the 5.0 percent growth seen in 1978, when a much smaller labor force added 4.3 million jobs. In fact, relative to the size of the workforce, it’s only the 11th best calendar year since record-keeping began in 1939.” Moreover, the job market has not recovered fully from the pandemic, and is still missing 3.6 million jobs. And that’s not accounting for population growth. The Post writes, “To catch up with population growth, the economy needs 5 million more jobs, according to economist Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.” According to Gould, it would take 8 million more jobs to match where the economy would have been without the pandemic if trends had continued. 

Supply Chain Issues Leave New Homes Unfinished

Amid a booming housing market, supply chain issues are leaving many new homes unfinished (WSJ). The Wall Street Journal writes, “the industry is struggling with global supply-chain woes. Pandemic-related factory closures, transportation delays and port-capacity limits have stymied the flow of many goods and materials critical for home building, including windows, garage doors, appliances and paint. Freezing weather and power outages in Texas in February led to a shortage of resin, which is used in many home-building products." A November survey by the research firm Zonda found that 90% of home builders said it was taking weeks longer than usual to complete construction, an increase from 75% who said so in January 2021. The Journal notes that supply disruptions can also cause a domino effect as they interact with shortages in work crews and skilled tradespeople. The disruptions have helped increase home prices to record highs, sparking concerns that some may be priced out of the hot housing market.

U.S. Society

Colleges Shift to Online Courses Due to Omicron

As the Omicron variant surge continues, some colleges have shifted back to online courses to try and minimize spread (WaPo). The Washington Post writes, “The latest surge of coronavirus cases around the country is leading many colleges to shift their short winter courses online as a precautionary public health measure. These courses, variously described as January terms or intersessions, typically last a couple weeks and are offered between the fall and spring at schools that run on a semester system. In an ordinary year, they would draw a modest portion of students back to campus before the spring term starts.” At the University of Maryland about 95% of such courses are offered online compared to two thirds prior to the pandemic. Johns Hopkins University will hold almost all of its courses online. An email from the university noted, “We continue to look forward to an in-person spring semester, and we remain confident that our suite of preventive measures, including vaccination, testing, masking, gathering limits, and enhanced ventilation, will enable us to do so safely.” Bonus Read: “Canceled buses and a superintendent in the classroom: How omicron has thrown schools into crisis,” (WaPo).

Omicron and Weather Combined to Create a Cancellation Crisis for Airlines

Surging Omicron cases and bad weather combined to generate a major cancellation crisis for airlines as people sought to return from holiday travel (WaPo). The Washington Post writes, “The disruption for airlines and travelers is on track to become the most severe since more than 56,000 flights were canceled in a single week at the outset of the pandemic, when people didn’t want to fly. A triple whammy of robust demand for holiday travel, staffing shortages triggered by a surge in coronavirus cases and bouts of wintry weather at airline hubs has ushered in one of the worst periods for air travelers in years.” Cancellations continue to surge, two weeks after the crisis began.

Analysis & Arguments

Sandeep Jauhar argues that health care workers should be paid more (NYT).

Benjamin Wallace-Wells writes on the debates over when to shift to a new approach to the pandemic (New Yorker).

 Readers can send in tips, critiques, questions, and suggestions to coronavirusbrief@newamerica.org.

The Brief is edited by David Sterman and Emily Schneider with Senior Editor Peter Bergen.

Read previous briefs here and stream and subscribe to our weekly podcast here.

About New America

New America is dedicated to renewing the promise of America by continuing the quest to realize our nation's highest ideals. Read the rest of our story, or see what we've been doing recently in our latest Annual Report. 

Help us to continue advancing policy solutions and journalism by making a donation to New America.