Omicron surge sweeps the city as testing lines stretch for blocks

A towering wave of coronavirus infections driven by the new Omicron variant swept across New York in the days before the holidays, pushing case numbers to record highs, sending residents scrambling for tests and forcing the cancellation of Broadway shows and holiday plans.

Lines for testing stretched around city blocks in frigid weather as New Yorkers sought to confirm infections or clear themselves before family gatherings. Pharmacies sold out of at-home test kits, and the surge strained a testing system suddenly overwhelmed by demand.

Omicron proved extraordinarily contagious, tearing through even a highly vaccinated city and infecting many who had so far avoided the virus, though evidence suggested it often caused milder illness, particularly in the vaccinated. Hospitalisations rose, but not as steeply as cases.

The disruption was immediate. Several Broadway productions cancelled performances as casts and crews fell ill, flights were grounded as airline staff called out sick, and restaurants and offices scaled back just as the city had been regaining momentum.

Officials urged residents to get booster shots and to exercise caution, while resisting a return to sweeping lockdowns. The surge was a sobering reminder, nearly two years into the pandemic, that the virus could still upend daily life in an instant, casting a shadow over the holidays and the year ahead.