Have you been experiencing deja vu? If so, you are most certainly not the only one. Life is starting to feel increasingly similar to the lives we all lived throughout most of 2020. The Omicron variant, first detected in Botswana, Africa on November 11, has re-sparked COVID-19 safety concerns and precautions everywhere. Just when we all thought that the worst of the pandemic was behind us, we are once again seeing school shutdowns, Broadway blackouts, and overcrowded hospitals. COVID-19 cases are rising locally, statewide, nationally, and globally at alarming rates.

Locally:

As of December 20, Monroe County has seen a daily average of 109 new cases of COVID-19 a day. Fifty-five percent of the county is fully vaccinated. Since March 2020, our county has been faced with 23,733 COVID-19 cases, and 397 total COVID-19 related deaths. 

Statewide:

As of December 20, the state of Pennsylvania is seeing 7,502 new cases of COVID-19 a day. Sixty-one percent of the state is fully vaccinated. Since March 2020, Pennsylvania has been faced with 1.89 million COVID-19 cases, and 35,398 total COVID-19 related deaths.

Nationally:

During this past week alone, the Radio City Rockettes canceled the remainder of their iconic “Christmas Spectacular” show, the NFL and NHL have postponed games, Broadway shows have canceled performances, and half of America’s public schools have shut down. President Biden will be issuing a statement on the Omicron variant and rising COVID cases in the United States this Tuesday.

Globally:

The Netherlands is under complete and total lockdown due to a massive spike of cases containing the Omicron variant of COVID. 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/pennsylvania-covid-cases.amp.html

https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/