complicated, and health experts say, not purely medical. we want to get people back to the jobs, particularly those with essential jobs, to keep our society running smoothly. if you are an hourly wage worker and you feel reasonably fine, maybe you have mild symptoms, you re much less likely to get tested if you know that a positive result will mean ten days of not being able to work, of being isolated. reporter: one sector already struggling, vaccinated healthcare workers suffering breakthrough infections of the highly transmissible omicron variant. and being sent home. that s still an impossible strain on an already strained healthcare system. so, i understand the pressure to get workers back earlier. reporter: omicron is spreading so fast, the impact is now going far beyond the widely reported holiday travel problems. in new york city, apple has closed all its stores to browsing shoppers. in maryland, courts are cutting back their winter schedules. all over college and prof
go back to school, within a week or two of schools opening is when we are going to see our highest numbers. reporter: amid the winter weather, the pandemic is roaring across the country with over a quarter million new cases now diagnosed daily. that s a record. this omicron variant is such a game-changer, in terms of its high, high transmissibility. it s like this big virus blizzard. reporter: hospitalizations are only about half of what they were last winter, but some states are seeing peaks there too. and more vaccinated medical workers are experiencing breakthrough cases and being sent home just when demand for their expertise is soaring. that s still an impossible strain on an already strained health care system. so i understand the pressure to get workers back earlier. reporter: the virus is spreading so fast, the impact is now going far beyond the widely reported holiday travel problems. in new york city, apple has closed all its stores to browsing shoppers. in maryland
quarter million new cases now diagnosed daily. that s a record. this omicron variant is such a game-changer in terms of its high, high transmissibility. it s like this big virus blizzard. reporter: hospitalizations are only about half of what they were last winter, but some states are seeing peaks their too, and more vaccinated medical workers are experiencing breakthrough cases and being sent home just when demand for their expertise is soaring. that s still an impossible strain on an already strained health care system. so i understand the pressure to get workers back earlier. reporter: the virus is spreading so fast, the impact is now going far beyond the widely reported holiday travel problems. in new york city, apple has closed all its stores to browsing shoppers. in maryland, courts are cutting back their winter schedules. and everywhere health officials are fretting over the long lines for testing. so i think that that s going to be a significant challenge,