Omicron

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized on Wednesday an updated formula of the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and rival Moderna, which target today’s most common omicron strain.

The TSA along with rideshare companies are doing away with mask mandates after a federal judge ruled against CDC mask mandates on public transportation. Moderna says their bivalent vaccine is stronger and longer-lasting than their original vaccine. Lucky Charms is under investigation after the FDA is made aware of online complaints.

Lee Health held a press conference Tuesday about the surge in COVID-19 cases in Southwest Florida and its impact on Lee Health’s emergency departments and overall capacity. The health system warned that the surge peak is expected within the next two to three weeks.

Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Naples Tuesday, during which he criticized the Biden administration for not providing Florida with the requested number of monoclonal antibody treatment doses. He also discussed the state’s guidance on scaling back COVID-19 testing and plans to get at-home coronavirus tests to vulnerable populations like senior communities.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a new record high number of new COVID-19 cases in Florida on Dec. 31 with more than 75,900 new infections. The ongoing surge driven by the Omicron variant is impacting hospitals and schools in Southwest Florida.

Get the basics of what’s known about the Omicron variant so far, learn more about how COVID vaccinations and booster shots work, and find out where the flu vaccine fits into it all.