It’s Thursday, January 6th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Doctors are on the lookout for cases of the "flurona" — a co-infection of both influenza and COVID-19 in patients.
A child in Los Angeles tested positive for both the flu and COVID-19, a testing site reported Wednesday. What's believed to be the first-ever case of the "flurona" was detected recently in Israel. This combination of illnesses may become more common since the country isn't facing the same lockdown restrictions that were around last flu season, doctors said. Both the flu and COVID-19 have similar symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache and fatigue — but the loss of taste and smell is only associated with coronavirus. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Julie Leonardi.
No. 2 - For the second time in two days, a Norwegian cruise ship voyage from Miami has been canceled over COVID-19 concerns, company officials said Wednesday.
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The Norwegian Getaway, which was scheduled to leave Miami Wednesday on a nine-day Caribbean cruise, won't be heading out to sea, the company announced. "As we continue to navigate the fluid public health environment, while focusing on delivering a safe experience for all on board, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Norwegian Getaway’s Jan. 5, 2022 voyage, due to COVID related circumstances," the company said in a statement. On Tuesday, it was announced that the Norwegian Pearl, which left Miami on a voyage to the Panama Canal and wasn't scheduled to return until Jan. 14, would be returning early, also due to Covid.
No. 3 - With the omicron variant spreading rapidly throughout the United States and South Florida, some are wondering whether "herd immunity" could help end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Herd immunity is defined as the indirect protection of an infectious disease that happens when the vast majority of the population is vaccinated, or has developed immunity through previous infection. According to Mayo Clinic, 65.2% of the state's population is fully vaccinated. Florida's seven-day moving average for daily cases has risen to over 50,000 in recent days, after it had dropped below 1,300 as recently as last month. Although more people are being infected with COVID-19, South Florida-based infectious disease specialists say achieving herd immunity at this point in the pandemic is unlikely. Click here to find out why an endemic is more likely in a report from NBC 6’s Marissa Bagg.
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No. 4 - Shocking new surveillance video shows the moment a man violently attacked a woman at a Miami-Dade bus stop, strangling her with a shoelace and punching her multiple times before she was able to fight him off with the help of a good Samaritan.
The incident happened around 11 a.m. Sunday as the 26-year-old woman was waiting for a bus at the stop at 3814 Northwest 25th Street, not far from Miami International Airport, Miami-Dade Police officials said. Officials said the suspect, 27-year-old Aaron K. Quinones, approached the woman from behind and started to strangle her with a shoelace. The video shows the woman begin to defend herself as Quinones started to beat her repeatedly. When a good Samaritan stepped in to stop the attack, Quinones fled the scene, police said. He was found a short time later by officers who were patrolling the area and taken into custody and charged with attempted murder.
No. 5 - President Joe Biden is preparing to mark the first anniversary of the U.S. Capitol insurrection, gathering with lawmakers to remember the violent attack that has fundamentally changed Congress and raised global concerns about the future of American democracy.
A Miami man who was charged in the insurrection is speaking out on what he calls the truth about that day at the U.S. Capitol. Gabriel Garcia, a former U.S. Army captain who is a member of the far-right group Proud Boys, is planning to commemorate the anniversary of the Capitol riot by holding a news conference Thursday outside of Miami's federal courthouse. Garcia is charged with obstruction of justice and civil disorder while Congress attempted to certify the 2020 election. He claims he didn't go to the Capitol to start violence. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Jamie Guirola you’ll see Only on 6.
No. 6 - Two separate tickets hit all the winning numbers for the $632.6 million Powerball jackpot Wednesday, the lottery agency reported: one in California and one in Wisconsin.
The California State Lottery has confirmed to NBC News that its winning ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in Sacramento. Both states are among the majority that compel lottery winners to be publicly identified upon claiming their prizes, which must be done within 180 days of the drawing. The winning numbers Wednesday night were 06-14-25-33-46 with a Powerball number of 17 and a Power Play of 2x. A surge in ticket sales pushed the Powerball jackpot above $630 million, the seventh largest prize in the game's history. There were two $2 million winners — for Match 5 plus the Power Play — in Florida and Georgia, respectively, and another 12 tickets that won the $1 million prize for getting all five numbers correct.
