plus, how a group of missionaries in colombia is trying to help those in need this holiday season. ♪ ♪ live from cnn center, this is "cnn newsroom" with rosemary church. >> good to have you with us. as if we needed more evidence of the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, the centers for disease control and prevention says covid helped cut 1.8 years from u.s. life expectancy in 2020. americans live to an average age of 77, down from 78.8, the biggest single year drop in more than 75 years. covid was the third leading cause of death behind heart disease and cancer. meanwhile, joe biden is laying out his plan to fight surging covid cases in the u.s. due to the omicron variant. it includes making 500 million free at-home test kits available starting next month. and israel is now the first country to offer a fourth vaccine dose. medical workers, people over 60, and those with compromised immune systems will be eligible. and cnn has correspondents positioned around the globe to cover all the latest developments. we begin this hour with athena jones in new york and phil mattingly at the white house. >> i know you're tired. >> reporter: joe biden seeking to reassure an exhausted nation, as it braces for what may be the largest covid wave yet. >> this is not march of 2020. 200 million people are fully vaccinated. we're prepared. we know more. >> reporter: but the remarks marked a complex effort to straddle the line between a dire message to the unvaccinated -- >> if you're unvaccinated, you're at a higher risk of getting severely ill from covid-19 and even dying. >> reporter: and hopeful resolve with those with the vaccine and booster. >> you have a high degree of protection against the illness. >> reporter: and the omicron variant makes up 73% of new u.s. cases, biden urging americans to get vaccinated and boosted and making a point of thanking former president donald trump for doing just that. >> it may be one of the few things we agree on. >> reporter: while lambasting media outlets that push vaccine conspiracy theorys. >> all these companies that are pedaling lies that can kill their own supporters. >> reporter: as the white house prepares for the possibility of overwhelmed health care workers, mobilizing 1,000 troops to deploy to covid burdened hospitals, with emergency response teams on the way to six states. all as the administration shifts to address the growing spike in testing need, launching testing sites in hard hit states and purchasing 500 million rapid tests to be mailed at no cost to those who request them in january. >> we will be getting these tests to americans for free, and have websites where you can get them delivered to your home. >> reporter: an abrupt shift from an administration that just two weeks ago said this -- >> why not just make them free and give them out and have them available everywhere? >> should we just send one to every american? >> maybe. >> what happens if every american has one test, how much does that cost? >> reporter: but the president rejecting criticism. >> is it a failure you don't have an adequate amount of tests for everyone to get one right now? >> no, it's not, because covid is spreading so rapidly. i don't think anybody anticipated that this was going to be as rapidly spreading as it did. >> reporter: even as americans face long lines for testing throughout parts of the country. biden urgen those vaccinated and boosted to maintain their poll say plans. >> you've done the right thing. >> reporter: and americans listening, with the tsa reporting more than 2 million daily travelers for a fifth consecutive day, underscoring the challenge at hand for a white house attempting to assuage the most serious concerns for the vaccinated and boosted, and delivering dark warnings for those who have not gotten the shot. >> hospitals are full of people who made that mistake. so are graveyards full of people that have made that mistake. >> reporter: joe biden was candid. those who are vaccinated and boosted could return positive tests. that's just the reality of the omicron varniant. white house officials acknowledging the president had close contact with a staffer that tested positive for covid. that staffer tested positive on monday after that positive test, the president was tested. he tested negative on a pcr test monday. tested negative friday. so far, not showing any symptoms, still considered negative. but taking all precautions necessary according to the cdc. phil mattingly, cnn, the white house. we've really not seen anything like this before. >> reporter: hospitalizations up 35% over a month ago, the u.s. averaging 140,000 new covid cases a day, and more than 1200 people are dying each day on average. even as early indications suggest omicron may cause milder illness than the delta variant, the number of covid cases could overwhelm already overstretched hospitals. >> one of the things we're concerned about is health care systems overstretched, literally breaking. now imagine taking 20%, 30% of the health care workers out because they are infected. >> reporter: doctors saying people who have not been vaccinated are most at risked. for the vaccinated, getting boosted reduces risk further. while just over 61% of the country is fully vy vaccinated, less than 20% have gotten a booster shot. even people vaccinated more than six months ago are three times as likely to have a breakthrough than those inoculated recently. in new york, where 70% are fully vaccinated, only 40% of those eligible have received a booster. there is one positive sign potentially -- >> we have about 460 patients in our hospitals. that's less than 10% of our overall capacity. >> reporter: while the empire state is setting new records for covid infections, it's not seeing a corresponding increase in hospitalizations. >> this time last year, during the second wave, we had almost 1,000 cases this time last year. compared to where we were back in the first wave, we had 3500 patients in the hospitals. >> reporter: here in new york city, a big focus on boosters, mayor bill de blasio announcing a $100 incentive for anyone who gets a booster dose. athena jones, cnn, new york. and as countries around the world race to administer third doses of covid-19 vaccines, israel is now first to announce plans for a fourth. the move to add an additional shot comes as the country braces for another wave of coronavirus infections. and for more on this, we want to bring in our journalist in jerusalem. good to see you. why has israel decided this is the time to move forward with the fourth covid shot, despite other experts suggesting it may be premature? >> i think he israel just doesn want to take any chances. when they started third booster shots in july or august, this was before many were saying it was necessary. so they have recommended this fourth dose for over 60s, medical workers and people with suppressed immune systems. it needs to be signed off by lawmakers, but i think this is a foregone conclusion. this is just a battery of measures that israel is taking to stem the spread of the omicron varniant. and also obvious ly that's one way to cut off the main source of the omicron variant, because most of the cases came from people traveling back into israel. on top of that, they're extending the use of the green pass to prove vaccination or recovery from covid. they're also getting workers to work from home from sunday and encouraging the private sector to do so, as well. so israel accepts this fifth wave is going to get worse, but they're doing everything they can to slow the spread of the omicron variant. >> elliott, many thanks. so let's talk more about this with dr. jorge rodriguez, a board certified internal medicine specialist, and a researcher. he joins me now from los angeles. thank you for all you do and for talking with us. >> thank you, rosemary. always my pleasure. >> wonderful. so we are seeing very long lines of people in new york and elsewhere, waiting in the cold for hours to get a covid test so they can spend holidays, or holidays with vulnerable family members. and joe biden says he will ramp up testing sites and send americans covid tests. but none of this will happen in the next few days. so what should people do if they can't get tested in time? >> my best advice is hopefully they have been vaccinated. that trumps everything. and i don't necessarily want to use that word. but if you're not vaccinated, about you don't have any symptoms, then it might be safe. but the truth is, there are many asymptomatic cases. so i would just try to tough out those lines, if possible, so that you can reassure yourself and those that you love, especially if there are elderly people in your family, that you are as safe as possible. >> and doctor, israel is now recommending a fourth vaccine dose for people 60 years and older, as well as medical workers, making it the first country to offer a fourth shot. is this what needs to happen elsewhere for that vulnerable able group and health workers? >> well, i think they might be jumping the gun a little bit. even though israel has led the way in many things we are currently doing. i don't think there's any conclusive information right now that says that an immune response when you do what i'm calling a complete vaccination, not just the booster, because i think now complete vaccinations are three vaccines of the mrna type vaccine. so we don't know how long that is going to last. so i know they're being awfully cautious, but i think they may be jumping the gun a little bit. and people that are triple vaccinated should be very comfortable they are protected against serious illness. >> so doctor, what is going to happen to the unvaccinated who haven't even received one shot, if most of the population ends up having a third, perhaps a fourth shot? >> well, what is bound to happen to them eventually, physically is that they are more likely than anyone to come down with covid. and i don't know how many times we can say that, and how many times we can hammer that point home. eventually, they are kind of causing themselves to get sick. at best, getting sick. the virus will hand on the people that have not been vaccinated. >> yeah. and in the u.s., it's that recalcitrant 30% or so. so as you say, we can keep telling people that this is a good idea, but they're digging their heels in. so we are all learning, including doctors and scientists, and now dr. anthony fauci says they are considering shortening that isolation and quarantine period. what is the science behind that? is it a good idea, particularly for those with three shots of the vaccine? >> well, i think that once we know definitively when someone who is infected is contagious, then we can narrow it down, that window. there was a lot of evidence, there is evidence that says probably the window of infecttivety is somewhere between four to five days after you contract and start having symptoms. so to be very cautious, they've always said ten days since the initial can initiation of symptoms. and 24 hours without a fever. but now that we know more, that may be judiciously shortened, because you want people to be with others and to be able to go to work. so we just need all the data to be solidified. >> of course, the fda could soon authorize the use of the fpfize covid pill as an early treatment. but supplies of that pill are very low at this time. so how much hope do you have for these pills turning the pandemic around, in conjunction, of course, with the vaccines? >> well, i don't have hope that they are going to turn the pandemic around. the only thing that will turn the pandemic around are people getting the resolve to realize that they are the ones that control the destiny of this pandemic. and we do that by using the tools we have at hand to prevent the spread, which is vaccination and distancing. those pills are for people that have already acquired the disease so they do not get something serious. it may be something like the flu pill that inmize the symptoms. all of these together, they're all sort of arrows in our quiver that will help us fight the vaccine. but the only thing that will end this pandemic is international resolve to start vaccinating everyone in the world, which seems like a huge task, almost simultaneously. >> we have the tools, we just have to use them. dr. rodriguez, thank you so much for joining us, and a very merry christmas to you. >> likewise. merry christmas. >> thank you. and still to come, widespread covid outbreaks are rippling through sports. and democrats are trying to get joe biden's derailed domestic arenldza back on track. but first, they have to overcome some deep divisions within their own party. we'll explain on the other side of the break. stay with us. ...so at at&t everyone gets our best deals. aren't others doing that? 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it could be a sign that your digestive system isn't working at it's best taking metamucil everyday can help. metamucil psyllium fiber, gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down. it also helps lower cholesterol and slows sugar absorption to promote healthy blood sugar levels. so you can feel lighter and more energetic metamucil. support your daily digestive health. and try metamucil fiber thins. a great tasting and easy way to start your day. joe biden will be focused on the nation's supply chain in the coming hours. he will meet with administration officials and ceos from an update on where things stand right now. and the efforts to keep goods moving and shelves stocked. supply chain problems are just one of the big issues plaguing the u.s. president. democrats are also struggling to pass a critical piece of his domestic agenda, a sweeping climate and economic bill. joe biden stressed its importance to reporters on tuesday, after laying out his plan for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. >> we saw what happened yesterday. all we talked about how my build back better plan was going to increase inflation, and because these debts. what happened? if we don't pass build back better, we're in trouble, because it's going to grow the economy. without it, we're not going to grow. >> and one drakt emocratic sena joe manchin, is standing in the way of the build back better act. but joe biden insists they will get something done. manu raju has the latest. >> reporter: democrats had a private conference call tuesday night trying to figure out if they can get this back on track, after joe manchin derailed it effectively on sunday. now, it's unclear if they can do just that, because there is absolutely no consensus on how to move ahead. particularly because manchin reiterated his concerns to his colleagues i'm told. he said he had concerns about inflation, geopolitical concerns. he said this bill does not show the true nature of its cost. he said it would add to the debt. democrats pushed back. there was some belief that joe manchin was not accurately portraying how this bill would be paid for. but there was a discussion by manchin that he would be willing to discuss things going forward. so does that lead to a scaled back proposal? he said something that even liberals in the house or in the could accept and get it all done in a matter of weeks or months, that remains a big question, because midterm election season is heating up, and democrats are on the defensive, trying to keep the house, struggling to keep the senate, as well. and there are concerns that democrats may go to the voters. promising a lot, but delivering nothing on this big agenda, even as they point to the infrastructure bill, there had been hope from liberals and activists and voters that they would do something. but they may not be able to get it because of deep divisions between joe manchin and the rest of his party. manu raju, cnn, capitol hill. i want to bring in the president of the global policy institute at loyola marymount and joins me now from los angeles. great to have you with us. >> thank you. >> so overall, how do you think joe biden's address to the nation on the covid pandemic and the omicron threat went? did he hit all the points needed or did he fall short, do you think? >> well, he had to walk a tight rope between optimism and pessimism. so he had to give two really different speeches to two different audiences. on the one hand, one speech was to the vaccinated where he said it's a cautionary tale. it was a warning, but also a kind of reassurance that we'll be okay, we'll get out of it. then he was speaking to the unvaccinated, which was the horror part of his speech. a dark wenter is upon us, things are going to go from bad to worse. it's been the unvaccinated that cause sod many of the problems. as i tell my students all the time, you can't fix stupid. if people can't going to help them themselves, there's very little you can do. >> right. so joe biden said the lack of testing available to meet the current demand was not a failure on his part, but was this all too reactive and too little too late coming just days before christmas? >> you know, it's hard to anticipate every possible thing that could go wrong. you try to get as much of it right as you can. as long as you're making that effort, you tend to get through the crisis pretty well. we have a lot of tests but not enough. that's because the -- omicron is so contagious. much more than anything we faced before. so that was the surprise problem, we weren't quite ready for it. but they're focusing on that right now. >> and joe biden has a full plate right now, tackle thing surge in cases in the midst of this omicron variant, while he's trying to recover from senator joe manchin's sudden rejection of his build back better plan. and also dealing with high inflation, triggered by the pandemic. of course, all of this giving him very low approval ratings. is he up to the task, do you think? >> well, that's the new question people are asking. in effect, up to the last few weeks, joe biden has lost control of the narrative, the story in people's head. the original narrative was, hope, back to normal, we're going to be okay. the new narrative, and you mentioned it a bit, is he up to the task? is he up to the job? afghanistan pullout went poorly, inflation is back, covid is resurging. can't get things through congress. the irony is by most objective standards, most things have gone better and gone well. much improved overall, but people were focusing on the negative things, and he hasn't really been able to keep people in the camp that says we're optimistic, we think it will be okay. the irony again is that perceptions that things are getting worse outweigh reality. so covid fatigue is the biggest cause of that. once we get over that, he will be much better off. >> yeah. he just hasn't made many wins. we mention the build back better plan. it appears that joe manchin has said he will continue talking now. he seems to have come around to a certain extent. where do you see this going? will they have to pass this? small pieces for small wins? or can this bill be done in one piece? >> i think there are two routes to success. and i think some of the talking heads have been a little mellow dramatic, the sky is falling. the sky is not falling. there are two good routes for biden the next few weeks. one is to take the manchin proposal he gave to joe biden a few weeks ago, which is kind of build back better light. maybe that's what they'll have to settle for, a half loaf rather than a whole life. the other way to do it, is to break up the bill in smaller pieces and get five things passed and three things not. either route is possible. i think the smart money should go with taking joe manchin's build back better light and see if you can get that through. >> all right. michael, we're watch to see what happens in the coming days and weeks. appreciate your analysis. >> thank you. happy holidays to all the cnn family. >> thank you so much. and the same to you. happy holidays. time for a short break. just ahead, the world health organization is warning a storm is coming, as omicron invades europe. we're live in rome. ho ho ho! not again. oh no. for the gifts you won't forget. the mercedes-benz winter event. clerk: hello, how can i? 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[ marcia ] clearchoice dental implants gave me the ability to take on the world. i feel so much better, and i think that that is the key. ♪ ♪ welcome back to "cnn newsroom," live from cnn headquarters here in atlanta. i'm rosemary church. the australian state of new south wales is reporting record covid infections. more than 3700 cases have been recorded from tuesday. france has broken its record for daily infections. the government blames the omicron variant for monday's case count of nearly 73,000. meanwhile, the uk is cutting the required isolation period for most covid cases in england from ten days. along with two negative lateral flow tests 24 hours apart. let's go live now to rome and cnn contributor. good to see you. lockdowns are back for some. what is the latest on restrictions and efforts to contain this new omicron threat? >> it's different across europe. you've got the german health ministry saying they're not ruling out a hard lockdown. you have new restrictions in portugal, as of december 26, closing bars and restaurants. here in italy, as of tomorrow, everyone has to wear a facemask, not just indoors but outdoors, as well. and this is all just to try to contain the spread. you know you have to consider europe as a whole is not just dealing with omicron. they're still dealing with delta variant here, rosemary. >> and of course, we know the w.h.o. is warning a storm is coming, as omicron invades europe. what is the latest on that, and of course, this threat posed by the new variant? >> well, it is very troubling. every country in europe seems to be dealing with it differently. denmark, they're sequencing every single positive test so they know how many omicron cases they have. and then countries like italy, the omicron cases seem to be very low, because they're not sequencing every result. so we don't really know what is ahead. hospitalizations and deaths are going up, more people are in intensive care. so you got that result as these case numbers rise. but they don't know what -- they know what's coming but they don't know exactly where we are. >> so much more to learn about omicron and fascinating to see how all the different countries are dealing with this threat. many thanks. the pandemic has devastated colombia's economy. many have lost their jobs and inflation is a big concern, as prices for basic supplies have surged. our reporter is eer is there w look at the crisis. >> reporter: missionaries are handing out meals to the homeless and everyone who needs it. the numbers they serve have grown steadily since the pandemic hit. before covid, most of the people they helped were drug addicts. but things have changed. >> right now, there is -- between the people that are addicted to drugs here and the people who lost everything, there are too many, too many old people here. >> reporter: millions in colombia lost their job as a result of covid-19. while the country is recovering, more than 40% of the population live in poverty. among them are people like edwin, who used to work as a mechanic and now lives on the street. more than a health emergency, covid has taken jobs away, he says. >> the pandemic has a devastating impact, for workers who didn't have any social safety nets to rely on when the lockdowns were imposed. >> reporter: distressingly, just as more people found themselves in need, prices are shot up. from gasoline to food supplies. >> the price of meat increased almost 30% in 2021 in colombia. and that is just the tip of the iceberg. poultry is up more than 20%. fresh fruits and vegetables, everything that you want for a good christmas meal is more expensive. as a result, while this will likely not be a lockdown christmas, the economic outlook is bleak. colombia is far from unique. inflation hitting the entire region hard. in south america, 2021 has been a year of rising prices in waning meals. according to unicef, 50% of argentinian people under the age of 6 eat less. and in brazil, 90 million people are going hungry. >> translator: we've never been in a situation as serious as it is now. >> reporter: tapping into international capital markets is not an option for most south american governments, making it hard to finance the projects common in the u.s. and europe. as a result, the immediate future looks just as dreary. they expect it will take at least two years to return to precovid levels of wealth in latin america. the food charity in bogota has finished for the day, but the job is far from over. tomorrow, somebody else will be hungry. >> covid has hit some of rio de janeiro's poorest neighborhoods particularly hard. but this christmas, dozens of children are getting a special delivery of holiday joy. there he, is santa claus, handed out presents to more than 100 kids in the area known as city of god on monday. they received toys, clothing, and food after a local woman posted pictures of some of the children in need on social media asking for donations. still to come, china's rise on the world stage, a century of the chinese communist party. and xi jinping on the verge of extending his reign. and now through the subaru sharare the love event, we're helping even more. by the end of this year, subaru will have donated over two hundred and twenty five million dollars to charity. this is what it means to be more than a car company. this is what it means to be subaru. michelob ultra organic seltzer. two flavors bursting onto the scene. they'll make quite a splash. now in watermelon strawberry. and black cherry. as real as it tastes. small businesses like yours make gift-giving possible. now, comcast business has an exclusive gift for you. introducing the gift of savings sale. for a limited time, ask how to get a great deal for your business. and get up to a $500 prepaid card with select bundles when you switch to the network that can deliver gig speeds to the most businesses. or get started with internet and voice for $64.99 per month with a 2-year price guarantee. give your business the gift of savings today. comcast business. powering possibilities. welcome back, everyone. in 2021, the chinese president gained power and stature, and some now put xi jinping on par with mao the tse dong. china is moving farther away from thecrac democracies. >> reporter: it's not hard to see who is in charge here. there are pictures of president xi jinping all over. this poster addressing the firefighting community. at the center of life here is the chinese communist party. but at the center of the party, this man, xi jinping. 2021 saw major steps to further consolidate power. in an early november meeting of china's ruling elite, the 400 or so top 40 officials pass a resolution, highlights the role of its current leader and chinese leader xi jinping on his rise on the global stage. >> he wants to really highlight his own contribution to the development of the party. that also will seal his legitimate rule over china in the foreseeable future. and then, of course, no one will challenge his power within the party. >> reporter: inside national museums like this one, president xi jinping has elevated himself to be on par with past leaders, even the most famous, mao tse dong. china has become the second largest economy in the world, on track to pass the u.s. and lifted millions out of its people out of poverty. walking in the morning here, you feel a rush of energy. a lot of activity. at times it feels like everyone in this country is on this drive for more ambition, more success. it's only amplified of a population of 1.4 billion people. an incredible buying power boll s sterred -- bolstered by new technologies, making it easier to spend money. just to get into some of these stores and restaurants, you have to first take your temperature. shows you're okay. then you've got to scan your health code. it then says we're good to go. one thing that is convenient about china is you don't even need to carry your wallet. everything is on your phone, including payment and i.d. 2021 marked 100 years since the party's founding in shanghai. it's a triumphant rise that the leadership displays at so-called communist party pilgrimage sites, sites that ignore failures and controversies. from the revolution to the tiananmen square massacre. instead, they focus on successes, and china is making other countries, including the u.s., increasingly uneasy with its rapid military expansions. with all the power that president xi has amassed, coupled with the military might, many believe his ultimate goal is to reunify with taiwan. he has not even ruled out taking the island by force, if necessary. china has been putting mill tai pr -- xi stressing with joe biden, on taiwan, the u.s. is playing with fire. biden, trying to calm the tensions. >> our responsibility as leaders of china and the united states is to ensure that the competition between our countries does not veer into conflict, whether intended or not. >> reporter: that's easier said than done. a deep-rooted geopolitical battle is lingering into the new year, citing widespread allegations of human rights abuses against china's uigher population -- >> what kind of country does this to innocent people? >> reporter: the u.s. announced a diplomatic boycott of the beijing 2022 winter olympics. >> the biden administration will not send any official representation to the beijing winter 2022 olympics. >> reporter: with allies following. calls for boycotting the games fuelled in chart by peng shuai, the olympian disappeared in november after she accused a top communist party official of forcing her into sex. the women's tennis association suspended tournaments in china, calling for peng to speak freely and openly. but for now, it won't halt the winter games. these, the first olympics to be held under president xi. 2022, setting the stage for xi to rule for an unprecedented third term and likely beyond. and one of china's most popular influencers have been busted for tax evasion and hit with a $210 million fine. the largest ever penalty imposed on a live stream according to choi these state media. the live streaming queen was also kicked off social media. before her account was taken down, wong posted she was deeply guilty, evading more than $100 million in taxes by falsely reporting her commission income. he helped hawk goods worth billions of yuan, and it's not clear if or when she will be back online. still ahead, another potential blow for the beijing winter olympics. why many of the world's premiere hockey players may skip the february james. and how jennifer king continues to break down barriers in the coaching world. back in a moment. ho ho ho! not again. oh no. for the gifts you won't forget. the mercedes-benz winter event. get a credit toward your first month's payment on select models. ...so at at&t everyone gets our best deals. aren't others doing that? others say that, but not everyone gets the best deal. like what if i give you a 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lower auto rate today. you're going to love this story. scientists in germany say they have found a way to make indoor air in closed rooms virus-free. they've developed a prototype that produces floor-to-ceiling uv light that deactivates 99% of all viruses. a safety switch turns the system off when people get near it or walk through it. then it immediately turns back on. the developers say the so-called light wall could increase safety in the workplace and allow people to stop wearing masks. that would be a breakthrough, wouldn't it? well, players from the national hockey league are not expected to compete at the beijing winter olympics due to covid concerns. that's according to multiple reports and would be another major blow to the games, now just six weeks away. now, nothing's official yet, and the nhl and its players association have been discussing the matter. most major american sports leagues, including the nhl, are seeing more players and team staff testing positive each day. as cnn's brian todd reports, the coronavirus is proving to be the toughest opponent yet. >> it's the raiders and the browns. >> reporter: tonight the world's most popular sports leagues are flailing, struggling to figure out when they can hold contests and if their schedules can even survive the winter and the omicron outbreak. >> it is moving fast. it's moving fast in the world, and it's moving fast in sports. and while there is a bit of a playbook now for how the leagues have dealt with it, different than in march 2020, omicron is proving to move through these locker rooms and these teams at a much higher rate of speed. >> reporter: the national hockey league has just paused its entire schedule for a few days until just after christmas, after covid outbreaks affected several teams. but after christmas, one nhl reporter says it's anyone's guess. >> there's no guarantee they're going to be able to play or resume their full schedule next week. i think what they're doing is just calling a brief time-out, giving the players and the staff the time they normally get and we'll see where we are on boxing day. >> reporter: the nhl had already started to play some games in canada with no fans in the stands, like the canadiens and flyers did last week. at least three nfl games over the past week had to be postponed after dozens of players tested positive, and many players had to be placed on covid protocols as a precaution. the nfl has also adopted a controversial new testing policy. previously the league required weekly testing of its players, but now the nfl is only testing unvaccinated players, coaches, and staff, and vaccinated ones only if they show symptoms of covid. >> i think today with omicron, i would test everybody on a regular basis. if i had the capabilities, i would test everybody literally three times a week. >> reporter: sports analysts say the nfl is determined for the show to go on and keep as many players as it can available for games. one problem with that, they say, could be the mentality of the average nfl player. >> football players are known for toughing things out. they tough through sprained ankles or pulled muscles. are they going to voluntarily come forward to their team doctors and say, look, i'm vaxed, i'm boosted, but i am feeling some symptoms? i'm not sure that's 100% the case. >> reporter: while the nba has also postponed some games -- >> no plans right now to pause the season. we've, of course, looked at all the options. but frankly, we're having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now. >> reporter: but one medical expert says it could reach a point where omicron may not give these leagues much of a choice. >> what we need to do is try to limit transmission as much as possible. and i think it may be necessary to do what you're talking about, you know, canceling events such as sports events and other things like that. >> reporter: sports columnist barvy vrulgas says one scenario we could say is leagues playing games again in bubbles. maybe not quite the extensive bubble that the nba set up in orlando in 2020, but clusters of teams in smaller pockets playing in different cities as these leagues try to ride out the omicron variant without completely shutting down. brian todd, cnn, washington. jennifer king has made nfl history. she stepped in as washington's running backs coach on tuesday, making her the first woman of color to be a lead position coach in an nfl game. she filled in for coach randy jordan, who was sidelined due to covid-19 protocols. king has served as the team's assistant running backs coach for the past year. well done. and thank you so much for joining us. i'm rosemary. i will be back at the top of the hour with more global news. do stay with us. and that's just basic wavy guy maintenance, right? next up, carvana. oh, boy. carvana just doesn't seem to understand how the test drive works. they give their customers seven days. and if they don't like it, they give 'em their money back. wait, they take the car back? that's crazy! what if it was driven by like a zookeeper? or a mud wrestler? or a guy who's on the outs with the missus and he just needs a place to sleep for seven days? yeah. 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