We’re going to begin with a spike in Covid cases that has health officials sounding the alarm. A rise in cases has states and businesses changing their plans, bringing back indoor mask mandates, canceling holiday parties, and giving the employees options to work from again. And now, professional sports seasons hang in the balance, with the NBA and the NHL postponing games. Also, a growing number of NFL players are testing positive and that has the league requiring masks regardless of vaccination status and pleading with players to get booster shots. While on average nearly 118,000 cases are being reported daily just as millions of Americans prepare to hit the road and airports for the holidays. The double threats tonight from the dangerous Delta variant and the extremely Omicron strain leads to the question, could Covid beat the Grinch that steal Christmas again?

As Omicron quickly spreads, people are spending hours waiting in line for Covid tests. Here in the New York City the positive rate has doubled in the last three days, something the mayor’s top health advisor says they’ve never seen before. Tonight, health officials are sounding the alarm. New Covid cases are up nearly 40% in two weeks, fueled by the Delta variant and Omicron spread. Dr. A.F predicts Omicron could become the dominate variant in the US soon. Today CDC advisors voted unanimously to discourage anyone 18 or older from getting J&J vaccine, citing evidence that it could trigger a rare blood disorder that has been linked to at least 9 deaths. And the list of companies telling employees to work from home is growing. Citibank announced today its employees in New York and New Jersey could be working from home again.