Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal that the messaging around the COVID-19 pandemic and changing guidance should have been clearer.
State of play: Walensky is being coached by media experts and is planning to have more press briefings by herself in order to ensure that CDC is seen as an independent, scientific entity, rather than as a political one, the Journal reports.
Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
State of play: Joint Staff spokesperson Col. Dave Butler said in a statement that Milley — who is fully vaccinated and has received a booster shot — is experiencing "very minor symptoms" and is "working remotely and isolating himself."
The Greek government on Monday said that anyone 60 and older will be required to get a vaccine or face a fine.
State of play: Older people who are not inoculated will pay fines starting at around $57 in January followed by a monthly fine of approximately $114 after that if they choose to remain unvaccinated, AP reports.
The world's 10 wealthiest men have increased their fortunes from $700 billion to $1.5 trillion since early 2020, per a report published Wednesday.
Why it matters: "The incomes of 99% of humanity are worse off because of COVID-19," according to the report, published by anti-poverty charity Oxfam ahead of the World Economic Forum's pandemic-delayed Davos Agenda, which begins Monday.
France's National Assembly voted 215-58 on Sunday in favor of pandemic legislation that includes a vaccine pass barring unvaccinated people from venues including restaurants and sports arenas, per Euronews.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday the Supreme Court's decision to block the Biden administration's coronavirus vaccine-or-test requirement for large employers was "a setback for public health."
The big picture: Murthy said the mandate was necessary and appropriate, adding that such measures "help create a safer environment for health care workers as well as for patients."
As Omicron continues to spread, schools across the U.S. are struggling with teacher shortages that have forced them to consolidate classes and lean on administrative staff to fill in as substitutes.
Why it matters: School closures and virtual classes can do lasting damage to kids' academic achievement — but so can some of the accommodations schools have had to make in order to stay open.
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