Coronavirus Watch: Hundreds of flights canceled due to COVID staff shortages, weather

Travelers with holiday flights are scrambling as U.S. airlines cancel hundreds of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day flights.

United and Delta cited crew shortages due to sick calls from the fast spreading omicron variant and bad weather in pockets of the country. United canceled 176 flights on Friday, or 9% of scheduled flights, and Delta canceled 151, or 7%, according to flight tracker FlightAware.

If you're staying home for the holidays and you're one of the many Americans who've tested positive for COVID-19, you probably have lots of questions: How long should you isolate? How long will you be contagious? Here’s what you should know about omicron and COVID this holiday season.

It's Friday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:

• The Biden administration will lift its temporary travel ban on eight countries in southern Africa on Dec. 31, said Kevin Munoz, White House assistant press secretary, in a tweet Friday.
• Federal officials on Thursday loosened isolation requirements for health care workers who test positive down to seven days in an effort to prevent staffing shortages. 
• COVID-19 cases are continuing to emerge on cruise ships. Among the latest outbreaks: MSC Seashore, which was scheduled to disembark passengers Thursday, sailed with 28 passengers who tested positive for COVID-19.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 51.8 million COVID-19 cases and more than 815,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 278 million cases and 5.3 million deaths. More than 204 million Americans – 61.7% –  are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. 

Thank you for subscribing to the Coronavirus Watch!

— Cady Stanton, digital editor fellow, @cady_stanton