D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a state of emergency on Monday and announced a number of new policies aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19, including the reinstatement of the city's indoor mask mandate and a booster requirement for D.C. government employees.
Driving the news: The recent case surge comes amid the rise of the Omicron variant and as COVID tests are harder to find—all while many D.C.-area residents prepare to gather with family and friends for the holiday season.
Former President Trump revealed on Monday that he has received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.
Why it matters: Trump was vaccinated at the White House in January. But he has often downplayed the pandemic and delivered mixed signals on the shot, despite the fact that Trump-supporting communities tend to have markedly lower vaccination rates.
Biogen is lowering the list price of its controversial Alzheimer's treatment, Aduhelm, from an average of $56,000 per year to $28,200.
Why it matters: The decision is a quick reversal from October, when CEO Michel Vounatsos said Biogen had no plans to lower Aduhelm's price because "price doesn't come up as the first worry."
Omicron fears notwithstanding, this is a time of year when many of us are traveling by air for the holidays.
A look at passenger traffic statistics shows improvement compared to the worst of the pandemic's first wave, but business travel, a major revenue driver for airlines, is still down compared to pre-pandemic days.
The sports world's sense of normalcy was upended over the weekend by a slew of events straight out of 2020.
State of play: Coronavirus cases are surging as the Omicron variant continues to spread, wreaking havoc on league schedules and causing games to be postponed and facilities to be shuttered.
A federal judge’s decision to reject Purdue Pharma’s multibillion-dollar opioid settlement shines a light on a controversial part of bankruptcies that quietly helps grease the wheels for complicated reorganizations.
Catch up fast: At issue are “non-debtor releases” provided to Purdue's owners, the Sackler family.
While the seasonal flu can be life-threatening, it paled in comparison to the overall numbers of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. over the last two years.
Yes, but: Experts warn about the dual threat from COVID surges and influenza, and say the flu season could be tough because this year's flu shot appears to be poorly matched to the flu strains circulating this season.
Moderna said Monday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine protects against the Omicron variant of the virus more effectively than a two-dose regimen.
Why it matters: Omicron has forced vaccine makers to reassess the effectiveness of their vaccines against this new strain of the coronavirus.
Americans are tired of COVID and don't want another round of cancellations, but they're happening anyway.
Why it matters: Omicron is spreading so fast that it's forcing officials' hands, and scrambling Americans' plans just two weeks after an Axios-Ipsos poll found that most weren't interested in upending their lives to avoid the new variant.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced separately Sunday that they've tested positive for breakthrough cases of COVID-19.
Why it matters: Both Warren and Booker in Twitter posts reported mild symptoms and spoke of their gratitude of being fully vaccinated against the virus and having booster shots and advocated for others to do the same, as U.S. health officials warn of a surge in cases due to the Omicron variant.
The rapid spread of the Omicron variant is forcing colleges and universities to adjust their pandemic policies, with Harvard announcing Saturday that it will go remote for the first three weeks of January in an attempt to stymie the spread on campus.
Why it matters: Omicron is threatening to overturn the new normal as it drives COVID-19 cases to double every 1.5 to 3 days in areas where there is community spread.
