go back to school, within a week or two of schools opening is when we are going to see our highest numbers. >> reporter: amid the winter weather, the pandemic is roaring across the country with over a quarter million new cases now diagnosed daily. that's a record. >> this omicron variant is such a game-changer, in terms of its high, high transmissibility. it's like this big virus blizzard. >> reporter: hospitalizations are only about half of what they were last winter, but some states are seeing peaks there too. and more vaccinated medical workers are experiencing breakthrough cases and being sent home just when demand for their expertise is soaring. >> that's still an impossible strain on an already strained health care system. so i understand the pressure to get workers back earlier. >> reporter: the virus is spreading so fast, the impact is now going far beyond the widely reported holiday travel problems. in new york city, apple has closed all its stores to browsing shoppers. in maryland, courts are cutting back their winter schedules. and everywhere, health officials