Track coach, ex-NFL player die; athletes, politicians test positive; more – coronavirus timeline Dec. 25, 2021, to Jan. 7, 2022

CLEVELAND, Ohio – From case numbers spiking to notable people testing positive, cancelations and more, here is our regular roundup of coronavirus facts, figures and numbers regarding Cleveland, Ohio, the United States and the world Dec. 25, 2021, to Jan. 7, 2022, followed by our quotes of the week:

Dec. 25

On Christmas Day, almost 1,000 flights are canceled or delayed due to staffing shortages caused by the surge of omicron cases.

Dec. 26

Ohio reports 20,917 cases, which accounts for Christmas Day, when there was no state report. … Associated Press reports that France has recorded more than 100,000 Covid virus infections in one day for the first time, and Covid hospitalizations have doubled over the past month.

Dec. 27

Ohio reports 8,092 new cases and 5,011 people in hospitals who have tested positive for Covid. … U.S. health officials cut isolation restrictions for asymptomatic Americans who catch coronavirus from 10 to five days, and similarly shortened the time that close contacts need to quarantine. … Because of the increase in cases, Cuyahoga County Public Library reverts to curbside/drive-through service. … Delta Air Lines says new pandemic-related cleaning requirements at a Shanghai airport were behind the turning back of a recent flight from Seattle. … Hockey continues to deal with the effects of coronavirus; the Columbus Blue Jackets game is postponed. … The Military Bowl in Annapolis, Maryland, is cancelled because of Covid cases affecting Boston College, which was to have played East Carolina University.

Dec. 28

Ohio records a record 15,403 new cases and 60 more deaths. … The United States hit a seven-day average of 265,427 new cases. The previous record of about 252,000 daily cases was reported Jan. 11, 2021. … Tonight’s Ohio State basketball game vs. New Orleans at Value City Arena is canceled because of the continuing outbreak on the Buckeyes team. … Reuters reports that France, Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Malta all registered a record number of new cases. … Just hours before kickoff, the Holiday Bowl is canceled because of Covid concerns at UCLA; the Bruins were to have played North Carolina State.

Dec. 29

Ohio logs 20,320 new cases, the highest number ever. The number of coronavirus-positive patients in Ohio hospitals is 5,356, also a record. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says he has called up 1,250 Ohio National Guard members to assist overwhelmed hospitals, in addition to the 1,050 deployed about two weeks ago. … Cleveland Metropolitan School District will shift to remote learning for the first week of 2022 because of Covid concerns. … The Cleveland Browns place quarterback Nick Mullens on the practice squad/Covid list. … An increase in Covid cases in Cincinnati has led to staffing shortages in the fire department, says city spokesperson Yasmin Chilton, who says 27 firefighters are out with Covid and an additional 20 are out sick. The city has 774 firefighters on staff. … Today’s inaugural Fenway Bowl in Boston between University of Virginia and Southern Methodist University is canceled because of Covid concerns.

Dec. 30

Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood says because of Covid concerns the remaining performances of “Elf the Musical” for today, Friday, Dec. 31, and Sunday, Jan. 2 are canceled.

Dec. 31

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will now require that all fans 2 and over attending any events in the arena must wear a mask that covers mouth and nose unless actively eating or drinking. The requirement goes into effect beginning Friday, Dec. 31, when the Cavaliers host the Atlanta Hawks. … Only 15,000 spectators are allowed into the official viewing area at Times Square in New York instead of the usual 58,000 for the traditional ball drop.

Jan. 1

Pennsylvania Department of Health confirms 23,189 new cases, bringing the statewide total to 2,059,613.

Jan. 2

Ohio Department of Health reports 37,626 new cases – a two-day tally of totals from New Year’s Day and today. Ohio’s pandemic death toll stands at 29,447. This figure comes after a comparatively large fatality number reported this week, 727. … Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (above photo, bottom, right) tests positive, saying he has mild symptoms of Covid.

Jan. 3

Ashland University track coach Jud Logan, who had a rare form of leukemia and had been hospitalized with Covid-related pneumonia, dies. The four-time U.S. Olympic hammer thrower was 62. … Ohio reports 20,411 new cases, coming close to Friday’s one-day record of 20,598 cases. Ohio has now reported 2,093,074 cases total, which translates to about 1-in-6 Ohioans known to have contracted the virus. Ohio’s death toll stands at 29,674. … Starting today, people attending Cleveland Orchestra events must show proof of Covid vaccination (including booster) or negative test to get into the venue. … U.S. Food and Drug Administration expands the emergency-use authorization for Pfizer’s Covid vaccine boosters to children ages 12 to 15. … The United States reports nearly 1 million new coronavirus infections, highest daily tally of any country.

Jan. 4

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates its guidance on the recommended isolation period, saying if people want to take a test, the best approach is to use a rapid test toward the end of their five-day isolation. The updated recommendations do not advise a test for isolated people, but they suggest if the test is positive, isolated people are advised to continue isolation until 10 days after symptoms started. … U.S. Sen. Rob Portman announces he tested positive. Portman says he feels fine and plans to work from home this week. … Former defensive end standout Ross Browner dies of Covid. He was 67. Browner played nine seasons with Cincinnati and finished with Green Bay in 1987.

Jan. 5

More than 19,000 cases are reported in Ohio. … The CDC updates its recommendations for the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine booster to include children as young as 12, at least five months after they finish the primary vaccine series. … Chicago cancels classes after its teacher union votes to return to remote learning during the latest case surge. … China reports a major drop in Covid infections in the northern city of Xi’an, which has been under a tight lockdown for two weeks. Xi’an is about 700 miles southwest of Beijing, site of the Winter Olympics. The Games are set to begin Feb. 4. … Italy makes Covid vaccination mandatory for those 50 and older. The measure runs until June 15. … Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier have withdrawn from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after Frazier tested positive. … Los Angeles County reports a record 37,215 new cases. The Super Bowl is set to be played in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.

Jan. 6

Ohio’s average coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents is 1,818.8, up from last week’s 1,364.7. … Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announces he is launching a Covid task force to monitor pandemic trends, encourage vaccinations, and offer policy advice to help tamp the spread of the illness. The task force will be composed of at least 22 representatives from different backgrounds, including leaders of local health institutions, city, county and community groups. … The Cleveland Orchestra announces postponements of its Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert on Sunday, Jan. 16, and Martin Luther King Jr. Community Day on Monday, Jan. 17. The Celebration Concert will be rescheduled to Saturday, June 4. … The Browns place defensive tackle Malik Jackson on the Covid list.

Jan. 7

Alysa Liu withdraws from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after testing positive. … Reuters reports that the omicron outbreak in New South Wales, Australia’s most-populous state, could peak by the end of January, projections show, as authorities reinstated some restrictions aimed to slow the infection rate. After containing the virus through lockdowns and tough border rules early on, Australia is suffering infection rates higher than elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region.

Quotes of the week

• “With the way things are going here, it’s a daily occurrence. When you’re playing in as many cities and there are different rules everywhere you go – New York City there’s one rule, on [Long] Island there’s another rule, in [New] Jersey another rule – it’s crazy.” – Edmonton Oilers coach Dave Tippett, after star forward Connor McDavid tested positive for Covid. Forward Derek Ryan also tested positive.

• “We’re doing all we can. This persecution is unfair, starting with the Australian prime minister.” – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, to Serbian media, quoted by Reuters. The world’s top-ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, was denied entry into Australia Thursday after a storm of protest about a decision to grant him a medical exemption from vaccination requirements to play in the Australian Open. His lawyers are seeking to overturn the federal government decision. A court agreed not to deport him before a hearing Monday, Jan. 10. He was quarantined in a Melbourne hotel. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the rules apply to all.

We compile our coronavirus timeline from cleveland.com stories and wire reports. Each Saturday morning, we recap news and stats regarding the virus. Here is the previous coronavirus recap Dec. 18-24.

I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.