The rise of the Omicron variant ushered in another pandemic Christmas for billions on Friday, with the arrival of Santa Claus and the highly anticipated family reunions overshadowed by the prospect of even more Covid restrictions.
Festive jokes about reindeer with “herd immunity” and millions isolating “Home Alone” may be thin, but the rise of the ultra-contagious Omicron variant means the pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon.
For the second year, rising infections have complicated Christmas plans from Sydney to Seville.
The new strain of coronavirus has also disrupted vacation travel, with tracking website Flightaware.com reporting that more than 2,300 flights around the world had been canceled by 2015 GMT.
In Bethlehem — the Palestinian city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that Christians believe was the birthplace of Jesus — hoteliers are disappointed.
After a near-total lockdown last year, Israel closed its borders again.
Friday’s celebrations were subdued ahead of Christmas Eve Midnight Mass, which would be reserved by invitation only to a small circle of people.
“It’s a bit surreal,” American student Hudson Harder told AFP.
“There’s this selfish part where it’s like, ‘Oh, I get to see this place so empty,’ but on the other hand, you feel for the stores, all the money they’re losing, it’s really, really tragic.”
‘Small things in life’
In Europe, governments are once again introducing misery-inducing security measures that take away the joy of Christmas for many.
The Netherlands is locked again, while Spain and Italy have made it mandatory to wear face masks outdoors.
And as Britain hit another record-breaking number of Covid-19 infections for the third day in a row on Friday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested getting a vaccine booster shot as a Christmas gift to family members.
France recorded a record number of positive cases for the second day in a row and health authorities urged people to get booster shots just three months after the first jab, down from the current five.
Still, Christmas gatherings in many other places around the world will be easier than they were a year ago.
Most Australians are allowed to travel interstate for the first time in two years during the festive holiday, with Sydney Catholic Archbishop Anthony Fisher saying Christmas was “a ray of light” in dark times.
In the Vatican, during the traditional Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis encouraged people to appreciate “the little things in life.”
He also urged “offending the love of God, hurting him by despising the poor with our indifference”.
Across the Atlantic, U.S. First Lady Jill Biden took an unexpected guest to a children’s hospital in Washington: her husband Joe, the first sitting president to join their husband for the traditional Christmas book reading.
The couple chatted with patients and doctors and showed a boy a picture of “Commander” — their new puppy — before sitting in chairs next to a Christmas tree and reading a book inspired by the Disney movie “Frozen.”
‘Operation Present Drop’
Millions of Americans were on their way to see loved ones for Christmas, even as Covid infections surpass the peak of the previous wave and hospitals run out of beds.
Thousands could face a grim holiday weekend, with major airline United canceling 120 flights as the number of infections had hit flight crews and other operations.
But Santa didn’t let that stop him from doing his rounds.
The bearded holiday cheer spreader was reportedly approved for travel in Canadian airspace after showing proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test before the flight, Ottawa’s transport minister said.
Santa’s flight crew — including reindeer Rudolph, whose “nose red and clear (but) made sure he had no Covid-19 symptoms before taking off” — had also been briefed.
The joint US-Canadian command, NORAD, offered the public on a specialized website the chance to follow its sled as it flies around the world.
Major General Eric Kenny, commander of Canada’s NORAD region, said Santa Claus had distributed more than two billion gifts and was over Pakistan by 1800 GMT.
“He’s been working on it for many hours and will be with me all night long,” he said.
Australian authorities previously said they were working around the clock to ensure “Operation Present Drop” ran smoothly.
The aviation safety authority said Santa was allowed to “fly at 150 feet so he can skim the rooftops and deliver his presents quickly and quietly.”
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)