A jury has ruled against opioid manufacturer Teva Pharmaceuticals, finding them liable for public nuisance charges in connection with their distribution of opioids in New York, State Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday.
Why it matters: The verdict, which followed a six-month trial that came after a lawsuit by the state, found the opioid manufacturer had played a role in fueling the opioid crisis. A subsequent trial will determine how much Teva will be required to pay.
Israel's top health official has approved the rollout of a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose to people most vulnerable to the virus, AP reports.
Why it matters: The country is the first to approve the fourth dose, as much of the world faces a surge in cases driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday said it is actively investigating or observing 91 cruise ships following COVID-19 outbreaks on board.
Why it matters: The Omicron variant has driven up infections across the U.S., upending vacation plans and disrupting travel. The new strain is the latest sign of the pandemic's hold on the cruise line industry.
The CDC said Thursday that passengers should "avoid cruise ships, regardless of vaccination status," citing an increased threat of COVID-19.
Driving the news: The CDC raised its travel health notice to the highest level on Thursday, saying "COVID-19 spreads easily between people in close quarters on board ships," adding that the chance of getting the virus onboard is "very high."
New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced during a press briefing Thursday that his administration will keep the city's vaccine mandate for private employers.
Why it matters: The mandate was announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio this month, who touted it as a "first-in-the-nation measure." The mandate went into effect on Monday and applies to approximately 184,000 businesses.
The U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday that it has now removed 206 service members for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
Why it matters: The updated numbers come as the Department of Defense has ramped up repercussions for service members who defy the vaccine order amid surging coronavirus cases.
Patients with health insurance will no longer receive as many unexpected medical charges from emergency visits and other out-of-network health care services starting Saturday.
Driving the news: The No Surprises Act will go into effect on Jan. 1. It will require patients to pay only the in-network cost-sharing amount in those situations.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci on Thursday pleaded with parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 to prevent "avoidable" hospitalization in an interview on NewsNation's "Morning in America."
Driving the news: "Virtually all, not 100% but close to that, of the children who are seriously ill in our hospitals from COVID-19 are children whose parents decided they did not want to vaccinate them," Fauci said, adding: "That is avoidable."
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for an at-home COVID-19 test distributed by German company Siemens Healthineers.
Why it matters: Companies including Walmart, Walgreens Boots Alliance and CVS Health have this month put limits on the number of at-home COVID-19 testing kits customers can buy as the Omicron and Delta variant surge across the U.S., per Reuters.
Seth Berkley, CEO of the Gavi vaccine alliance and head of the global COVAX initiative, wrote in Buzzfeed on Wednesday that focusing on COVID-19 booster shots alone to combat the recent wave of cases is a "dangerous mistake."
Driving the news: Berkley's op-ed comes at a time when the Omicron variant is spreading extremely quickly — even among vaccinated people — and represents a majority of COVID-19 cases right now — 58.6%, according to the CDC.
The largest manufacturers of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests have created a new lobbying group that is urging Medicare to pay for their tests, according to federal lobbying disclosures.
Why it matters: Rapid tests have become increasingly important for people to monitor infections as the Omicron variant takes hold, but the costs and supply of tests have been a sticking point for many people.
Parisians will be required to wear masks outdoors starting Friday as part of an effort to stymie the spread of COVID-19 driven by the Omicron variant, French police announced Wednesday.
Driving the news: France reported 208,000 new infections Wednesday, setting a new national and European record, Reuters reported.
The Omicron variant is threatening the recovery of the fitness industry.
Why it matters: January is an extremely important month for the industry, which thrives on New Year's resolution memberships. But mask and vaccine mandates prompted by Omicron are creating new obstacles going into 2022.
World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned during a press conference Wednesday that the circulation of both the Omicron and Delta variants of COVID-19 "is leading to a tsunami of cases."
Why it matters: Surging caseloads will continue to put "immense pressure on exhausted health workers and health systems on the brink of collapse," Tedros said.
The Smithsonian said it will temporarily close four museums for the remainder of the holidays due to a surge in COVID cases among staff.
Driving the news: The closures will "allow the Smithsonian to reallocate staff and keep all other museums open for the remainder of the week," the Smithsonian said in a release Wednesday.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that "all indications point to a lesser severity of Omicron versus Delta," citing preliminary data during a White House COVID-19 briefing.
Driving the news: Fauci cited a working paper from the University of Edinburgh that suggests Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization compared to Delta, among other research.
A federal court on Tuesday denied the state of Oklahoma's lawsuit attempting to block enforcement of the Pentagon's vaccine mandate for federal employees.
Driving the news: District Judge Stephen Friot said Oklahoma's attempt was "without merit," ultimately finding that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin — and the Biden administration — has the constitutional authority to enforce a vaccination mandate.
Jerome Adams, the U.S. surgeon general under former President Trump, criticized the CDC on Tuesday for shortening the recommended isolation time for people who test positive for COVID-19 to five days if they're asymptomatic.
Details: Adams also expressed concern in a Twitter post and in an interview Tuesday about the CDC's updated guidance on face masks, which advises that after the recommended isolation period, people should wear masks for at least five days to "minimize the risk of infecting others."
