12:04
The Omicron coronavirus variant vigorously continued its viral march across the US on Christmas Day, throwing many winter holiday celebrations into turmoil.
Airlines canceled over 2,000 flights on Friday, with more than 600 within, into or out of the US, stranding passengers after short-staffed carriers were hit by pilot and flight attendants reporting infections. Hundreds more cancellations were anticipated for Saturday.
The global tally of cancelled flights exceeded 5,400 trips over the weekend.
FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, noted 888 flights entering, leaving or inside the US were canceled on Saturday, up from 690 on Friday.
Christian churches were disrupted, with many canceling in-person congregations, while others planned outdoor services or a hybrid of online and in-person worship, including requirements to wear masks and show proof of Covid-19 vaccinations.
11:32
Just over a year ago, Anna-Jane Casey was forced to abandon the Covid-shuttered West End to deliver hundreds of parcels in a second-hand van. She was overjoyed to find herself back on stage this Christmas in one of theatreland’s most star-studded and critically acclaimed shows: Cabaret.
But productions are at the mercy of Omicron, with the highly transmissible Covid variant ripping holes in casts and backstage staff daily, so Casey’s triumphant return to the West End has been put on hold.
“Cabaret had to come off [last week] because there are about four to five cast members ill,” she said from her home in Kent. “It’s hit so many different departments: the dressers in the wardrobe department … our automation and sound and lighting. We’ve got a lot of cases across the board – and we’re a new production so the understudies aren’t ready to step in yet.”
Cabaret – which stars Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley in a revival of the 1960s musical about the Nazi-menaced nightlife of the Weimar republic – is not the only theatrical casualty of the wave of infections sweeping the capital. Last week more than 70 performances of 31 shows were axed, including Moulin Rouge, Mamma Mia! and Matilda.
“Up until about four days ago, 2021 was rocking along just fine. But we seem to be back where we were last year,” said Casey, who has appeared in shows including Chicago and Billy Elliot. “Producers are losing money hand over fist. Our producers are being unbelievably generous and paying us while we are not working but I don’t know how long that will last.”
10:50
The Queen looked back on a year marked by personal, as well as national, grief in her Christmas Day message – the first since the loss of her husband – yet strived to strike a more hopeful tone for the year to come.
As a second year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic drew towards its end, the 95-year-old monarch said she could understand the feelings of all those who have lost loved ones, having been bereaved herself in April. Nevertheless, she looked forward becoming the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee – 70 years on the throne – in 2022.
“Although it’s a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones. This year, especially, I understand why,” the Queen said in her annual televised address.
10:42
Two more members of the K-pop boy band BTS have tested positive after the group returned to South Korea from performances in the United States.
Rapper RM and singer Jin joined their bandmate Suga, who tested positive on Friday.
The concerts in Los Angeles were their first in-person performances in the country since the start of the pandemic, which forced them to call off their biggest ever world tour last year.
All three members of the group, which has spearheaded a global craze for K-pop, had been double-vaccinated.
07:35
Thousands of people across England will receive a Christmas Day booster jab as the vaccination effort continues in the face of record case rates.
Queues have been spotted at pharmacies as people wait for their “jingle jabs” with appointments available in locations in London, Manchester, Swindon and Eastbourne. Vaccination clinics in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are closed today.
NHS England has thanked staff who are working or volunteering on Christmas Day. In a tweet, it said: “From vaccinators to volunteers, porters to paramedics, midwives to mental health practitioners, and all other essential workers – thank you to everyone who is working over the festive period!”
Meanwhile, the government says it will be sending millions of text messages on Boxing Day urging people to “get boosted now”.
The message will say: “Every adult needs a Covid-19 booster vaccine to protect against Omicron. Get your Covid-19 vaccine or booster.”
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