Surging COVID cases make for another subdued Christmas Day

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Christians around the world are celebrating their second COVID-19 Christmas as surging infections in many countries overwhelmed hospitals, canceled flights and curbed religious observances. While some countries in Asia imposed restrictions to try to contain the highly contagious omicron variant, governments in Europe and elsewhere preached common sense despite reporting record daily cases this week. The head of intensive care at a hospital in said most of the unit’s COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated, while his staff members are exhausted or can’t work because they are infected. Pope Francis used his Christmas address on Saturday to pray for coronavirus vaccines to reach the poorest countries. Thousands of people across England got a booster shot for Christmas.