Airlines, Subways, Cruises... America Paralyzed Again

8500 Flights Canceled in One Week
Cruise Confirmed Cases 30 Times Higher in Two Weeks

On the 30th (local time), passengers inquiring about alternative flights were lined up at the Delta Air Lines check-in counter at Salt Lake City International Airport in the United States. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] "The number of new confirmed cases will exponentially increase to the point of disrupting daily life."

On the 31st, marking exactly two years since COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, the emergence of the Omicron variant has pushed the recovery of normal life even further away. As countries continue to break records for the highest number of new cases daily and tighten restrictions again, a return to pre-pandemic life seems distant.

In the United States, where the number of people entering quarantine due to the spread of Omicron is rapidly increasing, daily life is already paralyzed. The large-scale aviation chaos continuing for a week since the Christmas holiday is a prime example.

According to flight tracking site FlightAware, on the 30th (local time), 1,201 domestic flights within the U.S. and international flights departing from or arriving in the U.S. were canceled. CNN reported, "From Christmas Eve to this day, about 8,500 U.S.-related flights have been canceled."

The aviation chaos is expected to continue into the new year. In fact, 628 flights scheduled to depart on the 31st have already been canceled. Considering additional cancellations among delayed flights, the number of canceled flights is expected to increase over time.

Following aviation, cruise operations have also been disrupted. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised against cruise travel regardless of vaccination status on this day. This followed raising the travel advisory for cruise ships from level 3 to the highest level 4.

Recently, COVID-19 infection cases have been reported consecutively on cruise ships in U.S. waters. According to CNBC, the number of confirmed cases reported on U.S. cruise ships in the past two weeks is about 5,000, more than 30 times the 162 cases reported in the previous two weeks.

The New York City Fire Department appealed to refrain from calling 911 unless it is an emergency. Currently, one in six New York firefighters is sick, and nearly one in three paramedics is on sick leave.

One subway line in New York temporarily suspended operations, and five other lines experienced delays. The New York Police Department temporarily banned annual leave except for sick leave due to manpower shortages.

Concerns are rising that the U.S. job market, which had recently been showing signs of recovery, may face another cold spell. The Wall Street Journal stated, "Due to uncertainties surrounding the Omicron variant, the pace of the labor market may slow again from early next year," adding, "Especially places where many people gather, such as restaurants and hotels, will be hit hard."

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that last week’s unemployment claims dropped by 8,000 from the previous week to 198,000. This figure is nearly 10,000 lower than Wall Street’s forecast of 205,000. The four-week average of weekly unemployment claims also hit its lowest level in 52 years since October 25, 1969. However, concerns are growing that the employment market may freeze again due to the impact of Omicron.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.