Coronavirus In Maryland And Abroad

COVID-19 hospitalization rates in Maryland are at their highest since May. Baltimore County will give bonuses to school employees hoping to stem a tidal wave of resignations. Mayor Brandon Scott marks his first year in office…still facing a pandemic but with hundreds of millions in ARPA dollars to address many issues. Republicans in Maryland’s Senate try to rally support for Hogan’s tough on crime measures in this special session. And Dr. Leana Wen shares what’s known about omicron.

Superintendent Williams says shortages are creating "chaos."

Omicron has many more mutations than previous variants of concern, a fact that raises questions about how effective existing vaccines will be against the new form of the coronavirus.

The State Health Department’s website has been hit with a cyber attack. Maryland is now among the 17 states with the omicron variant. The State Senate overrides most of Gov. Larry Hogan’s vetoes in a special session. A new Towson high school is out, but debate over how to spend billions on Baltimore County schools continues. Our City Hall reporter untangles something called “tangled titles,” and how they strip Black families of shelter and generational wealth. Plus a quick guide on applying for Baltimore City rental assistance.

South Africa's major cities are seeing a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant.

Greece, where 62 percent of people are fully vaccinated, has started collecting monthly fines from those who refuse the shots. Austria is also taking similar measures.

Omicron has been detected in Maryland. Baltimore police have made an arrest in one of the city’s most recent heinous crimes. Maryland’s General Assembly convenes for a special session next week to tackle Congressional redistricting maps and Gov. Hogan’s vetoes. And the four-term State’s Attorney for Baltimore County will face his first Democratic primary challenger since he first ran for office.

Hiring slowed sharply last month, even as the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%. Data from the Labor Department suggest the economy was losing steam even before the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant.

Wesleyan University is among a small group of colleges requiring COVID-19 boosters for spring semester. Will other institutions follow?

Officials in Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota and New York reported their first cases of the variant on Thursday, one day after the first U.S. case was identified in California.