The news continues. Let's hand over Michael Smerchanish and CNN tonight, Michael.

Anderson, thank you. I am Michael Smerchanish and welcome to CNN Tonight. What just happened?

This is my fourth straight night in New York City and I feel that we're in a very different

place than we were even on Monday night, especially here in the Big Apple, which is why I'm

pleased that the city's mayor, Bill de Blasio, will join me in just a moment. COVID, it seems,

has taken another turn for the worse and for me, it's starting to feel like the new normal

as in it's here to stay and will remain so for our lifetimes. And while we need to take every

possible step to protect ourselves and contain the virus, we also need to prepare ourselves

psychologically so that we can live as normal and existence as possible amidst a pandemic that's

becoming endemic. Here's a situation, first from 30,000 feet. Cases and hospitalizations in this

country, both up 40% in the last month or so, while scientists think that Omicron is more

contagious, most cases so far appear to be mild. But late today, President Biden warned that

won't be the case for the unvaccinated in the path of Omicron as it likely explodes at the beginning

of the new year. Tired out and spreading and it's going to increase. For unvaccinated,

we are looking at a winner of severe illness and death for unvaccinated. For themselves,

their families and the hospitals will soon overwhelm. But there's good news. If you're vaccinated,

you have your booster shot, you're protected from severe illness and death.

Sometimes the macro statistics are a blur, especially where we repeat them night after night.

So let's go to the more anecdotal, which brings home the reality of what's going on.

Princeton and Cornell University, Middlebury College, all shifting to remote exams.

Cornell closed its entire campus this week. Some of the hottest shows on Broadway again,

canceling various performances, often because of breakthrough infections. And that comes despite

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