Omicron Creep Begins; Autism Cases Jump; States Ready Abortion Restrictions, Bans

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New York health officials have identified five cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Long Island, Queens, and Brooklyn. (Gothamist)

Officials in Minnesota and Colorado announced the first cases of Omicron infection in their respective states. (Reuters, Denver Post)

A confirmed Omicron case in Hawaii raised the number of affected states to five. (CNBC)

A company Christmas party appears to be the source of 60 new COVID infections in Norway, including 17 suspected cases of the Omicron variant. (The Local)

As of Friday at 8 a.m. EST, the unofficial U.S. COVID-19 toll included 48,832,268 cases and 785,912 deaths, increases of 136,750 and 3,806, respectively, since the same time yesterday.

South African health officials said the Omicron variant poses a threefold higher risk of reinfection compared with the Delta variant. (Reuters)

Countermeasures to prevent the spread of the COVID Delta variant should form the basis for dealing with the emerging Omicron variant, according to the World Health Organization. (AP)

TIB Molbiol, a test maker recently acquired by Roche, developed three different tests to detect mutations in the Omicron variant. (Reuters)

Michigan’s latest COVID-19 wave has driven the caseload to levels seen during the early stages of the pandemic, driven primarily by unvaccinated individuals. (ABC News)

New CDC data suggest a rising prevalence of autism, attributed to increased awareness of the condition and greater availability of treatment and other services. (NBC News)

A 53-year-old Norfolk, England man pleaded guilty to criminal damage after gluing shut the doors of a COVID vaccination center, blocking access to booster shots for hundreds of people. (Newsweek)

The on again/off again ban on mask mandates in Texas schools is temporarily on again, after a federal appeals court struck down a lower court ruling against Gov. Greg Abbott. (Dallas Morning News)

At least 21 states already have in place plans to ban or severely restrict access to abortion if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. (NPR)

Despite increased demand for COVID vaccine boosters in recent weeks, almost 20% of vaccinated adults say they “probably” or “definitely” won’t get a booster. (CNN)

The German government implemented a lockdown for all unvaccinated people, a prelude to a nationwide vaccination mandate. (CNN)

Unvaccinated state workers in Nevada enrolled in public employee health insurance plans will pay a health insurance surcharge for as long as they remain unvaccinated. (ABC News)

In an effort to reduce the number of Salmonella/E. coli outbreaks, the FDA has proposed changes to the Food Safety Modernization Act to improve the safety of agricultural irrigation water.