As the number of Omicron COVID infections continues to rise in the United States, almost 3,000 flights into and out of the nation have been canceled.
According to flight-tracking website FlightAware.com, around 3,000 of the cancelled flights were in or out of the United States, where the highly transmissible Omicron COVID form is causing an outbreak of illnesses.
According to the website’s count, 14,269 flights were delayed on Boxing Day, 3,099 flights were cancelled, and 1,369 flights were cancelled in the United States.
There had already been 1,457 flight cancellations throughout the globe as of 5 a.m. on Monday morning, with 417 of those cancellations occurring in the United States, either to, from, or inside the country.
There had been a total of 1,403 delays in total.
The Christmas holiday season is often a busy travel period, but this year it has coincided with the fast spread of the Omicron virus variety, which has led numerous airlines to cancel flights and cabin workers to self-isolate.
“Winter weather in parts of the United States, as well as the Omicron variation, continues to have an influence on Delta’s holiday weekend flight schedule,” a Delta representative said on Sunday.
Customers will be transported as quickly and safely as possible, the airline stated. “Rerouting and substituting aircraft and crews are being pursued,” the airline stated.
The following statement was made by a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson: “We continue to take pre-emptive steps to maintain operational and staffing resilience, always prioritizing the health and safety of our customers and employees.”
Infections have increased dramatically in many parts of the United States, with the New York State Department of health warning that it had observed a “startling” four-fold increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions for children under the age of 18 since the week beginning December 5.
Despite the chaos at some airports, a White House official, who asked not to be identified, stated that “we’re in a better place than we were last Christmas” and noted that “only a small percentage of flights are affected.”
The COVID rise has also had an impact on cruise liners.
According to several media sources, COVID-19 has also had an impact on a number of cruise ships.
According to CNN, a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd ship returned to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, while a Carnival Corp ship returned to Miami on Sunday after positive COVID cases were discovered aboard.
Several passengers aboard Carnival’s Carnival Freedom ship, which returned to Miami and departed later on Sunday for its next voyage with a new group of passengers, were quarantined after a positive COVID test, according to the cruise ship’s owner, Carnival Corporation.
According to reports from NBC News and Fox News, a Holland America ship also returned to San Diego on Sunday after Mexican officials barred it from docking at Puerto Vallarta due to an active epidemic on board, according to the company.
After being discovered for the first time in November, Omicron is now responsible for approximately three-quarters of all cases in the United States, and as high as 90 percent in certain locations, such as the Eastern Seaboard.