Photos this week: December 23-30, 2021 – CNN

A spike in Covid-19 cases, fueled by the fast-moving Omicron variant, has been wreaking havoc in the United States and many other countries.

Health experts are predicting that Omicron — the most contagious strain of coronavirus yet — is going to make the start of 2022 very difficult as well. They are urging people to get vaccinated or boosted to protect themselves and others before they face greater chances of infection.

Unvaccinated people “are 17 times more likely” to be hospitalized with Covid-19, said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Here are some of the other stories that made headlines over the past week, as well as some photos that caught our eye.