Tennis star Djokovic’s legal troubles, US skaters test positive, Ohio school cases, more – coronavirus timeline January 8-14, 2022

CLEVELAND, Ohio – From tennis star Novak Djokovic’s legal woes in Australia to American skaters testing positive at championships to school cases in northeast Ohio, here’s our timeline of facts, figures and figures on the coronavirus affecting Cleveland, Ohio, the United States and the world. 8-14 2022, followed by our quotes of the week:
January 8
Two days before the Browns’ regular season finale, the team places the cornerback Neighborhood Denzel and linebacker Malcolm Smith on the reserve/Covid list and activates running back From Ernest Johnson. … William Hubbart, and the ice dance team of Raffaella Koncius and Alexei Shchepetov withdraw from US Figure Skating Championships due to positive tests. The news follows reports from the two-time United States champion Alysa Liu (photo above, top right) and Amber Glenn positive test.
January 9
Reuters reports that China’s northern coastal city of Tianjin began testing its population of around 14 million after at least two local cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant were detected.
January 10
Ohio is reporting 18,042 new cases, only the second time since Dec. 29, when the one-day case rate fell below 19,000. More than 141,000 Americans are hospitalized with Covid, according to the Department of Health and Social Services. … The Biden administration is announcing that starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight at-home Covid tests per month for people on their plans. … According to a Reuters tally, the United States is reporting 1.35 million new coronavirus infections, the highest daily total of any country. The previous record was 1.03 million cases on January 3. …Australian judge reinstates tennis star Novak Djokovic‘s (pictured above, bottom right), which was canceled last week for not being vaccinated. Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly orders the government to release Djokovic from the Melbourne hotel quarantine within 30 minutes of its decision. Djokovic was in the country to participate in the Australian Open.
January 11
Ohio is reporting 19,611 new cases. The state’s death toll stands at 30,435. … CNN, citing Centers for Disease Control statistics, says that at least one in five eligible Americans – about 65 million people – are not vaccinated against Covid. … Dr. Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, says the omicron variant is expected to infect more than half of all Europeans within six to eight weeks.
January 12
Ohio is reporting 20,093 new cases. … from Cleveland.com Alexis Oatman reports that Case Western Reserve University has converted some vending machines to dispense free Covid tests to students and staff. The university has stocked machines on campus with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to help fight the latest wave of the virus. … Starting today, Starbucks in the Cleveland area will be closing its dining rooms due to Covid factors. Take-out orders will be served. Customers will be able to order in stores and online, and drives will remain open. … The Biden administration announces a new set of measures to keep classrooms open, including doubling Covid testing capacity in schools with 10 million more tests. … Figures from the Department of Health and Human Services show that 19 states — including Ohio — have less than 15% capacity remaining in hospital intensive care units. Four of them – Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana and New Hampshire – have less than 10%. … Serbian tennis star Djokovic – caught up in a legal quarantine struggle in Australia – admits via Instagram an “error in judgement”, saying he once broke solitary after testing positive last month.
January 13
Ohio is reporting 19,262 new cases. … Fourteen of the 20 schools reporting the most new cases in the state are in northeast Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Schools in the city of Willoughby-Eastlake reported the most new cases among Ohio students and staff, with 211 to 152 among students, 59 among staff. … The Supreme Court halts a major push by the Biden administration to increase the country’s vaccination rate, a requirement that employees of major companies get vaccinated or tested regularly and wear a mask at work. … President Joe Biden announces that the federal government is acquiring 1 billion home coronavirus test kits for free public distribution and will send 120 additional military medical personnel to help respond to the virus, including 20 to the Cleveland Clinic. … Most access to Tianjin, a port and manufacturing hub of 14 million people near Beijing, is suspended as the government tries to contain an omicron outbreak. Beijing is set to host the Winter Olympics in February. … French teachers are going on a nationwide strike, angry at the government’s handling of the virus in schools.
Jan. 14
Djokovic faces deportation after the Australian government revoked his visa for the second time. … Reuters reports that hundreds of thousands of Hindu worshipers have gathered on the banks of the Ganges in India for a holy bath during a festival despite a 30-fold increase in coronavirus cases over the past month. Hindus believe that bathing washes away sins.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Dr. Anthony Fauci remain at odds.PA
Quotes of the week
• “Given the number of infections, our hospitals are really on the brink right now.” – Dr Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN. About 24% of US hospitals are reporting a “critical staff shortage,” according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, as experts warn that the Covid surge fueled by the omicron variant is threatening the healthcare system.
• “What happens when he comes out and accuses me of things that are completely untrue is that all of a sudden it gets crazy and I have…threats on my life, harassment on my family and my children.” – Dr Anthony Fauci, top US infectious disease official, accusing the Republican Senator Rand Paul to spread false information while diverting public attention from the fight against the pandemic. Reuters reports that during a Senate Health Committee hearing, Fauci had his last heated exchange with Paul. Fauci said Paul was focused on misinformed attacks rather than surveillance aimed at solving the health care crisis that has killed more than 800,000 people in the United States. Fauci also pointed to fundraising appeals on Paul’s website alongside a call to have Fauci fired. Paul accused Fauci of making personal attacks on him and said no one wanted violence against Fauci.
We compile our coronavirus timeline from cleveland.com stories and dispatches. Every Saturday morning, we recap news and statistics regarding the virus. Here is the previous coronavirus recap January 8-14.
I am on cleveland.comfrom the Life and Culture team and covers topics related to food, beer, wine and sport. If you want to see my stories, here is a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I usually talk food and drink at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.