We’re going to begin with an alarming surge in new Covid infections in the US. For the first time in two months, the country is again averaging more than one hundred thousand new cases per day. More than eleven hundred Americans are dying each day from Covid, and nearly fifty thousand are being treated in the hospitals. While the Delta variant remains the dominant strain of the Coronavirus, the new Omicron is also spreading rapidly. Cases have now been detected at least eighteen states while scientist are still unsure if it’s more dangerous than previous variants. And scientists in South Africa where Omicron was first detected say the symptoms in most cases have been mild. Now the mayor of New York City today announced one of the nation’s toughest Covid vaccination mandates in the country. Forcing all private businesses to require their workers to get their shots by December 27th, that’s actually 3 weeks from now.

Not only the toughest mandate in the country, New York is now believed to be the first city to require vaccines to all workers. And now children here, as young as five, must be vaccinated before any indoor dining or entertainment. The New York mayor today called his mandate requiring all kinds of workers be fully vaccinated, up preemptive strike against the cold weather and the new Omicron variant. The mandate will affect one hundred and eighty-four thousand businesses, but will not apply to people who work from home, and there will be no testing alternative. Early data shows that the new Omicron variant produces mild symptoms at worst. In fact, it’s believed to be the delta variant, driving a wave of cases across the US, averaging more than one hundred thousand a day, with an increase in hospitalization as well. With much about Omicron still unknown, Dr. A.F urged Americans not to get complacent. The new variant has now been detected at least eighteen states including Louisiana, where 17 cases were discovered in Norwegian cruise line ship that is just returned to port on Sunday. Now the real concern of Omicron is re-infection, especially for anyone who is unvaccinated. Here in New York City, more than 10 percent of eligible adults have not gotten a vaccine yet.

:::tip complacent

• : satisfied with how things are and not wanting to change them. 自满的，得意的

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