chris pollone, washington. >>> president biden tested negative for covid just days after being exposed to a staffer who got the virus. the president was in close contact last friday with a person described as a mid-level staffer. that person had symptoms on sunday, tested positive monday. that aide spent roughly 20 minutes with president biden. biden was wearing a mask the entire time he was around that staffer. that staffer who was fully vaccinated and boosted tested negative before traveling on air force one. >> israel is moving forward with a fourth dose of the vaccine. this comes after the first-known death in israel of a patient with the omicron variant. an israeli hospital says the patient suffered from a number of serious preexisting conditions. yesterday the country announced it will offer a fourth dose of the vaccine to people older than 60. the prime minister says this will help the country overcome the spread of omicron. >>> we told you about it yesterday and it is official today. the nhl will not send any of its players to the upcoming winter olympics. they made the move af

here's chris pollone. >> reporter: after the nation registered a record number, the cdc is defending the isolation, five days instead of ten, if symptoms have disappeared, followed by five days of strict mask wearing >> by the time five days of isolation has occurred, you probably have 85-to-90% of all your transmission potential behind you while you have been in isolation. >> reporter: the decision has drawn criticism from labor unions. >> you should not be forced to come back to work if you are sick or fully better >> i wish the cdc had added in getting a negative test before endingeselation. >> reporter: he says pcr tests can register positive three months after >> we do not know how well theant yen cases work on day five. >> reporter: officials says they keep learning more, there appears to be good news. >> early indications report a lesser severity of omicron versus delta the rivenlg of severe disease from any circulating variant, including omicron, is much, much higher for the unvaccinated. >> reporter: the government set up test sites and september workers to more than half th

and bed shortages, with rhode island seeing the highest percentages of beds in the country our chris pollone has more. >> reporter: with new daily covid cases reaching all time highs, staff in the country are at a breaking point. >> people are tired. it's been a tough two years. >> the cdc seeing shortages issuing new recommendations for people who tpositive, letting a patient leave isolation in five days instead of ten if the person doesn't have any symptoms, requiring this team wear a mask everywhere for five more days. >> we want to make sure that particularly among essential workers that you get people out there much sooner. >> reporter: but some fear the sick will be back out in public too quickly and spread covid to others >> i've had patient who's have had rapid antigen tests test positive beyond the ten-day period so it becks the question, how will we know what this infectious period is in order to be safe to return people to work >> reporter: the omicron surge affects young people new york city has seen hospitalization of children rise nearly 400% this month. >> we need to care enou

as chris pollone reports, the president continues to say it's all about getting vaccinated. >> reporter: in the next phase of the fight against covid-19, the biden administration will send 500 million rapid tests to people who request them, sent up more testing clinics and deploy 1,000 military members to hospitals where staff is stretched thin. >> this is a critical moment. we're ready. we'll get through this. >> reporter: the moves come as the omicron variant sup plants delta as the majority of new cases. pro sports leagues are postponing games and cities reconsider new year's celebrations. the nation now wits first known death from omicron, a man in texas. as people prepare to travel for the holidays, they're waiting in hours in places like miami and new york to get tested. >> it's frustrating to see the least. >> reporter: the president with a warning for people who won't get vaccinated. >> if you're not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned. almost everyone who has died from covid-19 in the past many months has been unvaccinated. unvaccinated. >> reporter: look at

workers say they're trying to treat more patients, most of whom are unvaccinated here's nbc news' chris pollone. >> reporter: new guidance from the cdc slashing the time someone with covid should remain in isolation from ten days to five after a positive test if they no longer have symptoms the agency citing research showing a covid-positive patient spreads it more in the early stages of the illness. last year they cut the time to isolate after a positive test from ten days to seven, but the update applies to everyone. >> they have an essential job. we want to get them back on that job before the ten-day period. >> welcome, mr. president. >> reporter: president biden assure the nation's governors his administration is ready for the worst of the omicron surge >> my message to the governor is simple, if you need something, say something. >> reporter: but he admits to being caught flat footed and ramping up testing before the holidays >> it's not enough it's clearly not enough f. i had known we would have gone harder, quicker, if we could have. ro . >> reporter: in new york city, new testing centr

. >> but as nbc's chris pollone explains, they're defending new guidelines for how long a person withid should remain in isolation after a positive test. >> reporter: a day after the nation registered a record amount of new covid-19 cases, the head of the cdc is defending the agency's new guidance on isolation for people who test positive. five days instead of ten if symptoms have disappeared followed by five days of strict mask wearing. >> by the time five days of isolation has occurred you probably have about 85% to 90% of your transmission potential behind you while you have been in isolation. >> reporter: the decision has drawn criticism from labor unions. >> you should not be forced to come back to work sick and before you are fully better. >> reporter: and top disease experts. >> i wish the cdc had added in getting a negative test before ending isolation. >> reporter: but wilensky argues pcr covid tests can register as positive up to three months after infection and at-home tests are not as accurate. >> we do not know how well those antigens have performed at day five in detecti

nbc news' chris pollone has more. >> reporter: the fda is expecting mooed to approve pfizer vaccine booster shots for children five to 12-years-old. the agency is expected to move up eligible for adults getting a pfizer booster shot from six months after the second shot to five the expected changes come as new covid cases nationwide approach a half million on wednesday alone. long lines for testing persist in several cities. >> i have been out here since 7:45 in the morning. >> happy new year! >> reporter: as new york prepares for a scaled back if you year's eve celebration, 74,000 tests. >> over the next three weeks, we will see the number of cases rice so dramatically, we will have a hard time keeping every day life operating. >> reporter: some places are already struggling 30% of ems workers are out sick. hospitals and areas hit hard are losing staff by the day. >> what we're seeing now is a work force that is getting burnt out. they are exhausted. >> reporter: it's taking a toll on travel as well the cdc now warning people to avoid cruises regardless of vaccination status as they track

in washington, chris pollone. >> lots of questions still about omicron, rising covid cases and vaccine. lester holt spoke to dr. fauci to get his guidance about how it will impact your holidays. >> vaccination is going to make the difference, lester. if i'm a family member, i'm vaccinated, i'm boosted, my wife is vaccinated, she's boosted. my children are coming in, by plane from all different parts of the country, they are vaccinated and boosted, so we can feel very comfortable in having our plans to be together as a family in our home, with some friends who are also boostered and vaccinated, and i feel we can feel safe. >> coming up next on nightly news, what dr. fauci says about people who haven't seen received a single vaccine shot yet. >> california is in bet are beter shape to deal with it. california's death rate is also substantially lower. as you've heard, health officials now say getting a booster shot is imperative to protect you against omicron. we spoke with dr. monica gandhi about how it prevents you getting a severe case of covid. >> luckily, t-cells that we just got dat

mandate for new york city and international travel restr restrictions now in effect here's nbc news' chris pollone. >> reporter: with cases of the new omicron variant growing in the u.s. and around the world, new rules are in effect for people coming to the u.s. from overseas travelers need a negative covid test within 24 hours of departure. pcr tests are send not all self tests are eligible a. teledoctor must witness the test. >> safe check everything, yes. they're very strict. >> reporter: in an attempt to head off a winter surge, new york is now the first city in the nation to impose a vaccine mandate december 27th. >> a lot of people said they believe in vaccination they're not quite sure how they can do it, themselves. now we'll do it. >> reporter: children under five need shots to entertain in the city. >> it's clear where you have high pockets of individuals, including people up to date on boosters, you see lower cases. >> reporter: omicron has been found in 17 states early data suggests it spreads quicker. most cases appear less severe. omicron, it's delta that is killing americans. >> we

in washington, chris pollone, nbc news. >>> people who are immuno compromised are more likely to have a breakthrough covid infection. researchers looked at 500,000 patients who received one dose of a covid vaccine. those that were previously classified as immuno compromised have a higher likelihood to have breakthrough cases. researchers suggest people with a compromised immune system, including transplant patients and those battling diseases, consider wearing masks full-time and make sure they have received the standard doses and a booster. >>> it takes more than a car slamming into a covid testing site in medford, massachusetts, to stop the tests. a car crashed into the testing tent outside of an urgent care center. only the driver of the car was injured. the testing site was up and running after a brief delay. the driver said it was not intentional. >>> several cruise ships are back in the u.s. after caribbean and mexican ports turned them away because of covid outbreaks. the cdc is investigating. cruise members tested positive. passengers reacted differently. >> everybody on the s

here's chris pollone. >> reporter: across the country, new evidence of a covid surge. hospital admissions up nearly 8%, deaths up 5% over the past week. the delta variant is still doing the most damage, but the omicron variant has been detected in at least 36 states and cases appear to double every two days. >> i am very concerned that health care systems are going to be facing a pretty tough situation in the coming weeks. >> reporter: tuesday, lawmakers paused for a moment of silence to remember the 800,000 americans who have died so far. but one of the top health care advisers says there is good news. >> our booster vaccine regimen works. at this point, there is no need for an additional variant booster. >> reporter: even some vaccine protection does a good job at keeping people out of the hospital or dying from covid. >> it means it is vital for everyone to get vaccinated and boosted if they are eligible. >> reporter: pro sports are feeling the effect, with more than 100 nfl and nhl coaches and players testing positive. also forcing princeton, cornell and nyu to can

in washington, chris pollone. >>> a lofty goal from the government, the president signed an executive order cutting emissions. it calls for the government to use all clean electricity by 2030. another attempt to create a bigger market for clean tests, including electric cars. >>> plenty of jobs but not enough people filling those jobs. the latest labor turnover survey reveals job openings rose to 11 million in october. the most openings came in accommodation and food services. employers are scrambling to find workers. nearly 4 million people quit their jobs in october down from september, fewer people left their hospitality jobs. have you asked for a raise? maybe now is the time. many employers have budgeted for a raise. >> more pay can create more inflation. that makes sense, right? if xyz corporation has to pay employees more because they're dealing with a rise in the cost of living they have to compensate, it's raising prices because it's paying its employees more because of inflation, and that contributes to inflation. this is very different than the start of the cycle where price

nbc news' chris pollone explains. >> reporter: the head of crime maker pfizer show its covid vaccine is less effective against the omicron variant for people that had two shots without a booster. add in that third dose, project seems to jump. >> two doses are almost equivalent against the original variant. >> reporter: but that's not to say having two shots is worthless against omicron, which has been discovered in more than a third of the country skype tifts say two doses might not be enough. they would likely stop severe illness and death. >> there is tremendous volume compared to if have you only one or any. >> reporter: president biden praised the research >> if you get the boothster, yo are in really good shape. >> reporter: delta is driving the latest surge, six states now account for the majority of increase and hospital beds filled >> the bottom line left in all of this and the message is for those who are unvaccinated, please get vaccinated and particularly for those who are fully vaccinated, get that booster shot because that makes a big difference. >> reporter: while moder

as chris pollone

. >> chris pollone is in washington, d.c. with the latest. >> reporter: with cases of the new omicron variant growing in the u.s. and around the world, new rules are now in effect for people coming to the u.s. from overseas. travelers need a negative covid test within 24 hours in order to board. rapid tests and pcr tests are acceptable, but not all self-tests are eligible. >> they checked everything, yes. they were very distribute. strict. >> there are a lot of folks in the private sector who have said to me that they believe in vaccination but are not quite sure how they can do it themselves, well, we're going to do it. >> reporter: children over 5 must show proof of vaccine shots to enter restaurants and other areas in the city. >> it's just hard when you have people up to date on boosters. >> reporter: omicron has been found in at least 17 states. early data suggests it spreads quicker than the delta variant but most cases appear to be less severe. and while fears grow over omicron, it's still delta killing americans, 1492

in washington, chris pollone, nbc news. >>> in otherness, resentenced for a double murder he committed nearly two decades ago. scott peterson will be back in a bay area courtroom tomorrow. this comes as the california supreme court overturned peterson's death sentence last year, because jurors who personally disagreed with the death penalty but were willing to impose it were improperly dismissed by the judge. but while his death step was overturned on appeal, the high court left in place his murder conviction. let's bring in our legal analyst dean johnson. you and i covered the entire trial in 2004 to 2005. we saw a conviction. then a sentence. now there's a resentence. is this unusual? >> it's not that unusual. death penalties are quite frequently overturned. of course anyone who receives the death penalty gets an automatic appeal. and in this particular case, it was predictable, because the selection process itself left this jury not only qualified to impose the death penalty but pre-disposed to do so. >> laci's family was at the entire trial. they will be there tomorrow. we are told

chris pollone, nbc news, washington >>> now an exclusive look after the destruction across kentucky. a bird's eye view of the scope of damage left behind in what may be the longest tornado in u.s. history our gabe gutierrez flew over the storm zone with the national guard. >> reporter: we boarded a blackhawk helicopter, with a his tore tick look another the damage >> i look at previous response of tornadoes this is one of the most sophisticate. >> reporter: he leads the national guard >> this is utter deserve e devastation. still from the scale and this altitude, it's just terrible you can see it spans for miles, nablgds after neighborhoods. it's truly remarkable to see from the air for two hours, they are still surveying the damage it's potentially the largest tornado in american history a. monster tornado classified as an ef4 with winds up to 190 miles an hour. the kentucky governor announcing the numbers missing dropped from more than 100. now. >> the missing appears to be down to 16 that is good news. >> reporter: on the ground almost 700 air and army national guard members are r

chris pollone, nbc news, washington. >> let's get more perspective on this and bring in our political analyst, larry gerston. thanks for being here. house democrats seem almost relentless in their effort to bring mark meadows before the january 6th select committee. do they believe he has key information? >> well, i tell you this much. they think the president knows an awful lot, and meadows, no one is closer to the president than mark meadows. mark meadows knows what the president was doing ahead of time, during the event itself, and afterwards. there are so many questions about what happened, how, who was behind it all. meadows is the guy, the key to so much information. that's why they couldn't pounding on getting mark meadows. they think he can open up a lot of doors in explaining so much of what went on around the event, before the event. >> meadows accuses the committee of being on a witch hunt. does he have a point, saying i have given you all i got? >> well, look. he hasn't given the committee all he's got. he's given the committee all he thinks he has to give them. there's th