Global National: Dec. 23

Provinces are breaking records with newly reported COVID-19 cases as the contagious Omicron variant spreads. New restrictions have been announced by Quebec Premier Francois Legault on Wednesday, but as Mike Armstrong reports, this might be planning for the worst. The high numbers of Canadians catching COVID-19 are making officials re-think self-isolation protocols. Businesses are worried they will be left short-staffed as infected people and their close contacts will have to self-isolate. Jamie Mauracher explains. The United States is also seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases at a time when hospitals were already struggling to keep up with patients from the Delta variant and as Jackson Proskow reports, the surge is fueling demand for rapid tests and some treatments. In Libya, voters were supposed to head to the polls Friday in a much anticipated presidential election, but after months of disputes over the rules and candidates, the vote is being postponed. Redmond Shannon has the story. Plus, Mike Drolet looks at a recent Ipsos polling done for Global News, where Canadians reveal their choices on who should be on Santa’s naughty and nice lists.