Coronavirus Watch: World's first publicly confirmed death from omicron variant reported

The United Kingdom reported the world's first publicly confirmed death from COVID-19 caused by the omicron variant.

Health authorities say omicron cases are doubling every two to three days in Britain and that it will replace delta as the dominant strain within days.

The variant has also been detected in more than half of U.S. states as health officials continue the push for Americans to get vaccinated and get booster doses.

It's Monday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the USA TODAY Network. Here's more news to know:

• Preliminary data show the omicron variant can "evade" some of the protection that vaccines offer, but a booster dose "raises the level of protection high enough that it then does do well against the omicron," Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC News on Sunday.
• U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday he was opening booster shots to all adults: "I’m afraid it is now clear that two doses of vaccine are simply not enough to give the level of protection we all need."
• More than a third of Americans are very or extremely worried about getting COVID-19 or a family member getting COVID-19, according to a new poll from The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's up from about 25% who felt similar fears in late October.
• Ghana announced a strict $3,500 fine for airlines who bring unvaccinated travelers to the West African country.

Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 49.9 million COVID-19 cases and 797,300 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Worldwide, there have been more than 270.3 million cases and more than 5.3 million deaths. About 72% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 61% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Among U.S. adults, 84% have received at least one shot, and about 72% are fully vaccinated.

Tracking the pandemic: See the numbers in your area here. See where cases are rising here. See vaccination rates here. And here, compare vaccinations rates worldwide and see which countries are using which vaccines.

– Grace Hauck, USA TODAY breaking news reporter, @grace_hauck