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On Dec. Current hospitalizations climbed to a high not seen in over a year, rising six to , the highest tally since late December By Jeremy Fugleberg. Weekly average positive test rates continued to climb, reaching By Alex Derosier. The event, which is open for the public to view and participate in, will begin at 11 a. The warnings came as daily new infections in Russia started to climb, after weeks of declining following another record-breaking surge. The omicron variant spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, and has already become dominant in many countries.

It also more easily infects those who have been vaccinated or had previously been infected by prior versions of the virus. However, early studies show omicron is less likely to cause severe illness than the previous delta variant.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Russia's state coronavirus task force reported more than 17, new infections, up from about 15, on Monday. The average U. A deficit of truck drivers that started building before the pandemic also remains a problem. And shipping remains delayed, impacting everything from imported foods to packaging that is printed overseas. Retailers and food producers have been adjusting to those realities since early , when panic buying at the start of the pandemic sent the industry into a tailspin.

Many retailers are keeping more supplies of things like toilet paper on hand, for example, to avoid acute shortages. Generally, the system works; Dankert notes that bare shelves have been a rare phenomenon over the last 20 months.

It's just that additional complications have stacked up on that baseline at the moment, she said. As it has with staffing at hospitals, schools and offices, the omicron variant has taken a toll on food production lines. Worker illness is also impacting grocery stores. AFP - Getty Images. Opinion The self-made Covid martyrdom of tennis superstar Novak Djokovic. Don't throw out your Covid masks. I moved in with my mom during the pandemic and realized I'd looked at success all wrong.

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