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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating at least 86 cruise ships for Covid-19 infections, while another three are being monitored after positive cases were reported onboard. According to the CDC's website, 86 ships are under investigation for coronavirus outbreaks with a yellow status, while three ships have an orange status, meaning they have recorded Covid-19 cases on board but do not satisfy the agency's criteria for investigation at this time. Under the CDC standards, cruise ships with a yellow status must meet at least one of the following criteria: "at or above the investigation threshold for crew COVID-19 cases; at or above the investigation level for guest COVID-19 cases." There are no ships in the red status area, defined as "at or above the CDC investigation level for passenger and crew" by the CDC. According to the CDC, the color-coding scheme is for foreign-flagged cruise ships operating in US waters.

Sajid Javid has stated that there will be no more Covid restrictions in England before the new year. However, the health secretary advised people to "be cautious" and celebrate New Year's Eve outside if possible. Ministers will continue to monitor the statistics, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who advised individuals to get their "first, second, or booster jab as soon as possible." In the meantime, both England and Scotland recorded a spike in cases over the holidays. On December 25, 113,628 new illnesses were reported in England, followed by 103,558 on December 26 and 98,515 on December 27. For the same three days in Scotland, preliminary data revealed 8,252 instances on Christmas Day, 11,030 the next day, and 10,562 on Monday. Over the Christmas holiday, only partial Covid data for the UK was disclosed; full information will be released later this month. For many reasons, including people being less likely to receive a test on Christmas Day and dat