A day after reporting its highest average daily COVID-19 case number, the US shattered the record on Thursday, with an average of 355,990 infections reported every day in the past week, according to Johns Hopkins University. 9News
, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 33 per cent of fully vaccinated adults have gotten boosters, which experts say are critical to protect against severe illness from the variants.The Omicron variant - the most contagious strain - is rapidly spreading across the world, with Australia and several European countries reporting their highest-ever case counts.
"Get vaccinated, get boosted, mask up and avoid large indoor public gatherings when possible," said Gov. Kathy Hochul, later announcing she was extending the mandate for businesses to have a masking or vaccine requirement to February 1. New Jersey, meanwhile, identified more than 28,000 new Covid-19 cases via PCR testing, Governor Phil Murphy said Thursday, "roughly quadruple from just two weeks ago, and four times as many cases than during the height of last winter's surge."He said that as of Thursday evening, 3864 Covid-19 patients were being treated across the state, "more than double in just two weeks," the governor said, adding 70% of hospitalized Covid-19 patients are unvaccinated.
That's a 66 per cent jump from the previous week and an all-time record, beating the one set at the end of August and early September, when an average of 342 children were admitted.