The World Health Organization (WHO) urges extreme caution ahead of the holiday season that comes just as the omicron variant is expanding fast. It’s time to make “tough decisions” to get back to normal. “We are all fed up with this pandemic. We all want to spend time with friends and family. We all want to get back to normal. The fastest way to do this is for all of us, leaders and individuals, to make the difficult decisions that need to be made to protect ourselves and others, ”said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “A canceled event is better than a canceled life. It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later than celebrate now and cry later, ”he added.
Omicron has been detected in at least 89 countries and has forced some governments to impose tougher containment measures during the holiday period. Omicron is now the dominant variant in the United States, accounting for 73% of all infections.