Reindeer With "Herd Immunity" Jokes Wear Thin On 2nd Pandemic Christmas
NDTV
Festive jokes about reindeer having "herd immunity" and millions isolating "Home Alone" may be wearing thin, but the emergence of the ultra-infectious Omicron variant means the pandemic is not going away anytime soon.
The rise of the Omicron variant heralded on Friday another pandemic-tinged Christmas for billions, with Santa's arrival and longed-for family reunions overshadowed by the prospect of yet more Covid restrictions.
Festive jokes about reindeer having "herd immunity" and millions isolating "Home Alone" may be wearing thin, but the emergence of the ultra-infectious Omicron variant means the pandemic is not going away anytime soon.
For the second year, surging infections have complicated yuletide plans from Sydney to Seville.
The new coronavirus strain has also disrupted holiday travel, with tracking website Flightaware.com reporting more than 2,300 flights had been cancelled around the world by 2015 GMT.