VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A view shows empty queuing lines at John F Kennedy International Airport after airlines announced numerous flights were cancelled on Christmas Eve in Queens, New York City, US, on Dec 24, 2021. (Photo: Reuters/Dieu-Nalio Chery) - 

US airlines scrapped nearly 1,000 flights on Saturday (Dec 25), the second straight day of massive cancellations as surging COVID-19 infections have sidelined some pilots and other crew members, upending plans for tens of thousands of holiday travellers over the Christmas weekend.

A total of 957 Christmas Day flights, including domestic flights and those into or out of the country, were cancelled, up from 690 on Christmas Eve, according to a running tally on flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. Nearly 2,000 flights were delayed.

At least one airline said that it expects hundreds more cancellations on Sunday.

The Christmas holidays are typically a peak time for air travel, but the rapid spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections, forcing airlines to cancel flights as pilots and crew need to be quarantined.

United Airlines cancelled 230 flights while American Airlines called off 90 flights, representatives for the companies said in separate statements.

"The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation," United spokesperson Maddie King said. She said the cancellations made up a small portion of United's 4,000 average daily flights during the holiday season.

"We are working hard to rebook as many people as possible and get them on their way for the holidays," she said.

Winter weather and Omicron forced Delta Air Lines to scrub 344 flights on Saturday, of about 3,000 scheduled flights, "after exhausting all options and resources to prevent those cancellations", a spokesperson for the company said, adding that the impact was likely to persist on Sunday.

"Delta expects more than 300 of its flights will be cancelled on Sunday, Dec 26," the spokesperson said. "Delta people are working together around the clock to reroute and substitute aircraft and crews to get customers where they need to be as quickly and safely as possible."

Globally, FlightAware data showed that just over 2,700 flights were called off on Saturday and another 7,049 were delayed, as of 530pm EST.

Among the most impacted US airports were Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International, New Jersey's Newark Liberty International, Los Angeles International and New York's JFK International. Six out of the 10 global airports most hit by the cancellations were Chinese.

Not all airlines were affected equally. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines said there were no issues to report with the carrier's flights on Saturday.

The Omicron variant was first detected in November and now accounts for nearly three-quarters of US cases and as many as 90 per cent in some areas, such as the Eastern Seaboard.

The average number of new US coronavirus cases has risen 45 per cent to 179,000 per day over the past week, according to a Reuters tally.

While recent research suggests Omicron produces milder illness and a lower rate of hospitalisations than previous variants of COVID-19, health officials have maintained a cautious note about the outlook.

Ahead of the Christmas holiday, Americans scrambled for COVID-19 tests and many went ahead with their travel plans.

US officials have said that people who are fully vaccinated should feel comfortable proceeding with holiday travel//CNA

Shoppers wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 walk along a boulevard in Paris on Dec 20, 2021. (File photo: AP/Michel Euler) - 

COVID-19 infections in France hit six figures on Saturday (Dec 25), health officials recording 104,611 cases over the previous 24 hours, the third consecutive day the numbers have been record highs.

The latest figures, from France's public health agency, come ahead of a video-conference meeting Monday in which President Emmanuel Macron and key members of his government will discuss new Covid safety measures.

Officials are concerned about the effect of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

Already on Friday, the health authority recommended adults receive a booster jab three months after their initial vaccination.

Now the government is moving to make the health pass issued to the vaccinated valid only if people accept the booster jab.

The pass is required for access to cafes, restaurants and public spaces, as well as for international travel.

Some regions have already enacted their own safety measures.

At the end of last month, for example, officials in Savoie reintroduced the compulsory wearing of masks, not just in indoor public spaces, but outdoors too - a move just adopted in neighbouring Italy.

The latest figures mark a dramatic rise since the beginning of the month: on Dec 4, the numbers broke 50,000 for the first time before rising steadily.

To date, France has recorded 122,546 deaths from the coronavirus. So far, 76.5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated//CNA

People wearing face masks walk in the street, as the region of Lazio makes face masks mandatory outdoors in all areas, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases rise and Christmas nears, in Rome, Italy, December 23, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi - 

Italy reported a third successive record tally of COVID-19 cases on Saturday (Dec 25), with new infections hitting 54,762 against 50,599 a day earlier, the health ministry said.

The number of coronavirus-related deaths rose to 144 from 141 on Friday.

Italy has registered 136,530 deaths linked to COVID-19 since its outbreak emerged in February last year, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain and the ninth highest in the world.

It has reported 5.57 million cases to date.

Patients in hospital with COVID-19 - not including those in intensive care - stood at 8,892 on Saturday, up from 8,812 on Friday.

There were 106 new admissions to intensive care units, against 102 on Friday. The total number of intensive care patients increased to 1,071 from a previous 1,038.

Some 969,752 tests for COVID-19 were carried out in the past day, compared with a previous 929,775 the health ministry said//CNA

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno (ANTARA PHOTOS/M Ifdhal/my) - 

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno stated that education and literacy on disasters must be improved so that people are ready to address the catastrophes.

"Disaster mitigation is not only supported by technology, but must also be followed by an increased awareness," he said in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh Province, on Sunday.

The statement was made during an event to commemorate 17 years of deady eathquake and tsunami that rattled the province which lies on the northern tip of Sumatra Island on December 26, 2004.

The convening of the event was centered at the parking lot of Ulee Lheue Port in Banda Aceh. Among the attendants of the event were Aceh Governor Nova Iriansyah, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, Deputy Speaker of People's Consultative Assembly Ahmad Muzani, House of Representatives Member Fadhlullah, TA Khalid, Deputy President Commissioner of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) Dr. TGB Muhammad Zainul Majdi, and people from Aceh regional leadership coordination forum.

He pointed out that the tsunami which struck the Indonesian province and 14 other countries had resulted in the deaths of around 230 thousand people.

The existence of technology tools, including those related to the earthquake and tsunami early warning systems, offer knowledge and time for the public to be ready to seek protection and minimize the impacts of disasters, he remarked.

He stressed that efforts to prepare for disaster must be fostered together so that everyone can practice resilience in surmounting them.

"I compel everyone to campaign for the public to be aware of disaster mitigation," Uno reminded.

He also appealed to the people at large to increase the spirit of solidarity in the midst of many disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the public awareness of disaster mitigation, which would create resilient communities, could be strengthened. 

The commemorative event of the Aceh tsunami in Ulee Lheue was also followed with prayers and remembrance of those falling victim to the deadly catastrophe. The prayers were led by two Muslim preachers -- Zamhuri Ramli and Faizal Adriansyah.

The event organizer also conducted a grave visit, donations to orphans, a tsunami photo exhibition, awards for the caretakers of the tsunami site, and collaborative performances//ANT