COVID

The Senate on Wednesday passed a resolution to overturn President Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private businesses with 100 or more employees.Driving the news: Democratic Sens. John Tester (Mont.) and Joe Manchin (W. Va.) backed the Republican-led resolution, which needed a simple majority of 51 votes to be approved by the Senate under the Congressional Review Act.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe resolution is unlikely

Pfizer announced on Wednesday that preliminary research suggests its booster shots are effective against the omicron variant. They also warned that just two doses may not be sufficient.

Leadership from the Henry Ford Health System and Beaumont Health have warned the COVID surge is having serious effects on hospital operation and the ability of everyone to get care.

South Africa's test positivity rate also hit 22.4% at the beginning of the last week, a sharp increase from 1.2% reported during the first week of November.

U.S. officials have authorized a new COVID-19 antibody drug for people with serious health problems or allergies who can’t get adequate protection from vaccination.

Michigan Medicine officials issue plea to the public to get vaccinated as beds fill up.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening.

"I think we could go to a period where we have an economic boom not unlike post-World War I" and after the 1918 pandemic, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Wednesday.

Experts weigh in on the opportunities and challenges ahead for investors, particularly when it comes interest rates, inflation and the ongoing pandemic.

"When we see real world data will determine if the omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long," Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC.

The new COVID-19 strain is on a list of words that have proved most challenging for newsreaders and people on TV to pronounce.

KALAMAZOO, MI – After two years away due to COVID concerns and restrictions, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts announced Tuesday that its annual fair will return in person next year, on June 3-4. The institute is currently accepting artist applications for the 71st annual fair. Arts Fair coordinator May Mokrzan said returning artists began being notified at the end of October, giving them the first opportunity to apply for the 2022 fair. In prior years, two-day fair attracted as many as 40,000 people to downtown Kalamazoo for the annual event. “It’s very important for us to recognize our local and Midwest artists,” Mokrzan said.

Omicron's arrival prompted some companies to move their return-to-office dates indefinitely. Here's what experts say about whether it's safe to go back to in-person work.

ANN ARBOR, MI - Certain University of Michigan staff will receive $1,500 bonuses by the end of the year for working during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very proud to work alongside you.”The employees eligible for bonuses include those with and without bargaining agreements, according to a university news release. UM’s Dearborn and Flint campuses will provide similar recognition to their respective employees, officials said. A hiring freeze in the last year also left many jobs empty, thus adding more work onto the plates of fewer employees, officials said. Temporary employees, faculty with unpaid appointments, visiting faculty, emeritus faculty and other supplemental faculty and staff will not receive payments.

Southwest raised its revenue forecast for the last three months of 2021.

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical WriterPfizer said Wednesday that a booster dose of its COVID-19 vaccine may offer important protection against the new omicron variant even though the initial two doses appear significantly less effective. Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said that while two doses may not be protective enough to prevent infection, lab tests showed a booster increased by 25-fold people’s levels of virus-fighting antibodies. Blood samples taken a month after a booster showed people harbored levels of omicron-neutralizing antibodies that were similar to amounts proven protective against earlier variants after two doses. Scientists don’t yet know how big a threat the omicron variant really is. But they’re the first from a vaccine maker examining whether the booster doses that health authorities are urging people to get may indeed make an important difference.

The drugstore chain and health insurer is expected to lay out its plans to use health-care services as a growth engine beyond the Covid pandemic.

Moderna president said current COVID-19 vaccines probably aren't effective against the new variant.

The World Health Organization’s European region has recorded a slight drop in both COVID-19 cases and deaths last week after facing a string of weekly increases.

Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC the omicron variant "extends the timeline" on when Covid will go from pandemic to endemic.

The endorsement comes two days after one of Valencia’s key rivals for the Democratic nomination, Alexi Giannoulias, secured an endorsement from the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

The U.K. government could be poised to announced more Covid restrictions for England as soon as Wednesday, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Poland and several other countries in Central and Eastern Europe are facing the emergence of the omicron variant while already dealing with surging coronavirus cases and deaths

Day by day, more information has emerged regarding the spread of the variant, as well as anecdotal evidence and preliminary data about its risk profile.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.

A federal judge in Georgia issued a stay Tuesday to bar enforcement of the mandate nationwide.

Billie Eilish, cheugy and Glasgow also feature on a list of the words people find trickiest to say.

The school board of Brighton Area Schools entertained a mask mandate to be implemented by the superintendent when there is a higher risk of transmission of COVID.

A federal judge has blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for employees of federal contractors.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Dr. Frank McGeorge has been keeping viewers up-to-date and informed on all fronts.

People who have previously had Covid or been vaccinated have far less protection against omicron than they do for other variants, according to the first data of its kind.

"It's a textbook example of why panic is not a strategy, unless you're deliberately trying to lose money," CNBC's Jim Cramer said after stocks rallied Tuesday.

The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite was the stand-out performer on Tuesday after gaining more than 3% for its best day since March.

The preprint study has not yet been peer reviewed and it tested 14 plasma samples from 12 vaccinated people, 6 of whom were previously infected.

Investors who sold during the recent market troubles are no better off than those who stayed in. They're likely in a worse situation.

The omicron concerns were so severe that "you have this moment where people realize, 'Wow, we really got oversold. What can I get in?'" CNBC's Jim Cramer said.

The comments come as an increasing number of governments are considering, or planning to introduce, compulsory vaccinations.

Why the good news about the Omicron variant's reduced severity may be a mirage

Poland is introducing mandatory vaccination by March 1 for teachers, medical workers and uniformed security workers like police, the military, firefighters and security guards.

The World Health Organization’s office for Europe says that children in the 5 to 14 age group now account for the highest rates of reported COVID-19 infection in the region.

Moderna president said current COVID-19 vaccines probably aren't effective against the new variant.

With most students attending full-time in-person school this year, some child advocates in Philadelphia say that parental support is more important than ever.

HELENA, Mont. — One Montana hospital went into lockdown and called police after a woman threatened violence because her relative was denied her request to be treated with ivermectin. Officials of another Montana hospital accused public officials of threatening and harassing their health care workers for refusing to treat a politically connected COVID-19 patient with that antiparasitic drug or hydroxychloroquine, another drug unauthorized by the Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID.

The U.K. has accelerated its rollout of COVID boosters to deal with the spread of the omicron variant.

Three teams have been deployed to hospitals across the state of Michigan amid its fourth surge.

The seven-day moving average of COVID cases in Michigan is still high, with about 7,300 cases per day.

Some black and South Asian people say conversations about the vaccine are "frustrating" and "tense".

Tuesday's headlines include a former diplomat's testimony about the "chaotic" exit from Afghanistan.

The U.S. has updated requirements for international air travel. From testing to mask mandates, here's what you need to know before booking a flight.

Vaccination rates for 5- to 11-year-olds, who only became eligible for COVID shots last month, significantly trail the citywide rate for all residents.

According to doctors, the situation is similar to those of other variants — with a few more unknowns to consider.

FLINT, MI -- Flint police and firefighters would receive up to $10,400 each in premium pay for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic under a proposal from Mayor Sheldon Neeley. The City Council is scheduled to consider two resolutions dealing with additional pay for employees who worked from June 14, 2020, through June 12, 2021, at a committee meeting Wednesday, Dec. 8.

As Covid mortgage relief expires, many Americans still can’t afford monthly payments. Here are options for cash-strapped borrowers to consider.

A cruise ship that carried at least 17 passengers and crew members with breakthrough COVID-19 infections when it docked in New Orleans has set sail again with new passengers. Nine crew members and eight passengers were infected when the Norwegian Breakaway arrived on Sunday, a Louisiana Department of Health spokeswoman said Monday. None had any symptoms and only fully vaccinated people are allowed on board, Norwegian Cruise Line said.

Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal has been placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

The Biden administration is enforcing new travel requirements as the Omicron variant raises concerns globally. Meanwhile, the Delta variant is still largely responsible for a surge in U.S. infections, with average cases topping 100,000 per day. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Leslie Diaz has more on the latest coronavirus headlines.

Ford on Monday informed employees that it now plans to begin a pilot phase for select employees in February and March.

Get a classic photo with Santa this month at Briarwood Mall.

Starting Monday, inbound travelers to the U.S., including citizens, have to make time and budget for Covid tests closer to their departure date.

U.S. health officials said Sunday it’s still unclear how transmissible the latest COVID-19 variant is, how well existing vaccines work and whether it will lead to more severe illnesses. “I think that there’s a real risk that we’re going to see a decrease in the effectiveness of the vaccines,” Hoge said in an ABC interview. “We feel certain that there will be some degree, and maybe a considerable degree, of protection against the omicron variant” with existing vaccines, he said. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the agency is “really hopeful” that existing vaccines can protect people infected by omicron against severe disease and hospitalization. In a Bloomberg Television interview last week, Afeyan described the omicron variant as a “serious threat.”Financial markets were spooked last week when Moderna’s top executives said the omicron variant’s many mutations suggest new vaccines will be needed.

The mandate will go into effect on Dec. 27, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The college's report touches its response to COVID-19, a National Science Foundation grant and the new Makerspace project.

Belgian police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse some rowdy protesters in Brussels after most marched peacefully through the city to protest tightened COVID-19 restrictions.

New York has announced three more cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, bringing to eight the number of state cases linked to the new variant.

Thousands of people have marched peacefully through the Dutch city of Utrecht to protest the government’s coronavirus lockdown measures.

A dentist in Italy faces possible criminal charges after trying to receive a coronavirus vaccine in a fake arm made of silicone.

The New Jersey statehouse requirement for visitors to show proof of COVID-19 or a negative test is still in effect after Republican lawmakers defied it ahead of a voting session Thursday.

Sara Watkins will emcee the 45th Ann Arbor Folk Festival.

Russia’s state statistics agency says that 74,893 people with COVID-19 died in October — the highest monthly tally in the pandemic that comes as Russia is grappling with a major surge of coronavirus infections and deaths.

South African scientists are warning that the new omicron variant may be causing more reinfections among COVID-19 survivors than earlier virus mutants.

World Health Organization officials say that the measures used to counter the delta variant should remain the foundation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic, even in the face of the new omicron version of the virus.

Every week our Good Health team talks with doctors and hospitals around Metro Detroit to find out what’s going around. This week there was a shift from other illnesses.

An anti-COVID pill made by drugmaker Merck has been under review by officials, and on Wednesday its fate rested in the hands of the FDA.

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi was placed in COVID-19 protocol before Wednesday night's game against the Seattle Kraken at Little Caesars Arena.

Newly released data shows the large majority of those hospitalized for COVID-19 in Michigan are unvaccinated patients.

The Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the U.S. is on hold because of legal challenges, but employers can still require the shots.

A person in California has become the first in the U.S. to have an identified case of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that natural COVID infections provided some protection against reinfection in a community in Nicaragua.

The state has reported 93 new school outbreaks across Metro Detroit Tuesday.

A new antiviral coronavirus treatment pill is close to being made available to patients. The pill works to reduce the progression of severe symptoms and hospitalizations.

Lines have returned for those seeking vaccine shots in Portugal and Spain.

Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh announced he plans to give his bonus money to athletic department staffers who took pay cuts over the last 18 months.

Mexican officials have reversed their previous position against giving coronavirus booster shots and are studying a plan to administer third doses to people over 60.

Michigan offers data on hospital capacity and bed occupancy for hospitals around Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The James M. and Cathleen D. Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics will conduct cutting-edge research to understand how inequality impacts generations.

Clients will now retrieve their own nasal swab collection kit and consent from an outdoor cabinet at the front of the building when they go for COVID-19 testing at the St. Clair County Health Department.

Britain says it will offer all adults a booster dose of vaccine within two months to bolster the nation’s immunity as the new omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads.

Doctors and nurses fear the new omicron variant of the coronavirus could make things even worse at Michigan’s hospitals.

There is global concern about what impact the omicron variant could have on the COVID pandemic. Experts agree that it’s only a matter of time until omicron is detected in the United States.

Here's what's coming up on Local 4 News at 5.

Michigan reported 25,329 new cases of COVID-19 and 137 virus-related deaths Monday -- an average of 5,065.8 cases over the past five days.

South African doctors say the rapid increase in COVID-19 cases attributed to the new omicron variant is resulting in mostly mild symptoms.

Watch live coverage as President Biden delivers remarks on the Omicron variant of COVID-19 after meeting with his response team.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday broadened its recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots for all adults as the new omicron variant is identified in more countries.

This is happening just before a travel ban goes into effect for multiple parts of Africa.

Experts are concerned that a new variant of COVID-19, “omicron,” could possibly be even more contagious than the delta variant and more resistant to vaccinations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on Detroit businesses, as many people stay home and shop online. But the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation is determined to get people out of their houses and into shops.

Golf, cricket and rugby have become the first major sports to be affected by the new COVID-19 variant.

Israel's prime minister says the country is “on the threshold of an emergency situation” after authorities detected its first case of a new coronavirus variant in a traveler who returned from Malawi.