As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.4 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 825,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering.
About 62% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has tested positive for COVID-19, he confirmed in a statement Sunday evening.
"I tested positive this morning for COVID-19. I requested the test today after exhibiting symptoms while at home on leave," he said.
He added that his symptoms are mild and he is following his physician's directions.
"In keeping with those directions, and in accordance with CDC guidelines, I will quarantine myself at home for the next five days," Austin said, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recently-updated isolation guidelines.
Austin said he will be attending virtual meetings if possible while in quarantine.
"I have informed my leadership team of my positive test result, as well as the President. My staff has begun contact tracing and testing of all those with whom I have come into contact over the last week," he said in his statement, adding that his last meeting with President Joe Biden was on Dec. 21, "more than a week before I began to experience symptoms."
"I tested negative that very morning. I have not been in the Pentagon since Thursday, where I met briefly - and only - with a few members of my staff. We were properly masked and socially distanced throughout," he said.
Austin said he is fully vaccinated and boosted, and his doctor made clear to him that thanks to that, his infection is much more mild than it would otherwise have been -- which he is grateful for.
More than 8,773 people are hospitalized in New York state with COVID-19 -- the highest number since January 2021, according to state health officials.
Roughly 1,518 people were admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, and there are 1,133 patients in ICU beds, the health department said.
One of the largest testing companies in the country said the jump in COVID-19 tests has led to an increase in time for results.
Quest Diagnostics told ABC News their turnaround time for results has now stretched to two to three days on average.
Last week, the company said it took a day, on average, to get results.
On Wednesday, Quest told ABC News they were deploying their logistics network, such as its national courier and air fleet, to move specimens around to where there is less inundation and help balance out volume across their roughly two dozen labs.
However, the increase in omicron cases and the busy holiday season led to delays.
Other labs are also experiencing long wait times for results, including CityMD, which said it can take patients up to seven days to get their results.
-ABC News' Sasha Pezenik
New York state has once again broken its single-day COVID-19 case record.
There were 85,476 new cases reported Saturday, according to the governor's office.
The number of COVID-19 tests administered also increased by over 44,000 in the last 24 hours.
The state's seven-day positivity rate is nearly 20%.
On Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced new measures to target the state's winter COVID-19 surge, including opening more state-run testing sites, distributing rapid tests to schools and increasing vaccination and booster rates among children and nursing home residents.
Dr. Anthony Fauci strongly recommended against large New Year's Eve parties at Wednesday's White House briefing.
"Should you change or cancel your plans? If your plans are to go to a 40-50 person New Year's Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing and wishing each other a happy new year, I would strongly recommend that this year, we do not do that," Fauci said.
With Los Angeles experiencing another COVID-19 surge, some restaurants and bars are halting indoor operations even though they don't have to. The Roguelike Tavern, a bar in Burbank, canceled its New Year's Eve bash @ABC7 https://t.co/9MNZl0R2Fa
— Josh Haskell (@abc7JoshHaskell) December 29, 2021
Fauci said "all indications point to a lesser severity of omicron versus delta." But he warned, "we should not become complacent since our hospital system could still be stressed in certain areas."
White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said, "We have directly helped more than 30 states and territories by deploying over 2,100 federal personnel and thousands of ambulances, ventilators and other critical supplies."
Supplies include gloves, masks, respirators and face shields, he said.
He added, "More than 13,000 National Guard members have been activated in 48 states to support the COVID response, from vaccinations, to testing, to clinical care."
At the briefing, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky defended the agency's shortened isolation guidelines.
"We do know the vast majority of viral transmission happens in those first five days, somewhere in the 85 to 90% range. So if a person can isolate for the first five days they absolutely should," she said. "We also don't know that antigen tests give a good indication of transmissibility at this stage of infection. On the other hand, we know that after five days people are much less likely to transmit the virus and that masking further reduces that risk. And this is why people need to mask for five days after the five days of isolation."
After five days, asymptomatic people with COVID-19 can leave isolation, but must wear masks around others, according to the new guidelines.
-ABC News' Cheyenne Haslett
