'We are in the intensive protocols'
| 'We are in the intensive protocols'  Covid-19 is blowing the whistle on sports all over the world.
For many fans, the moment the pandemic became real in 2020 was when their favorite leagues went dark. Now, team shutdowns, player quarantines, canceled games and empty arenas are an ill omen -- especially after the full-throated joy of capacity crowds briefly seemed to herald a return to normality. This winter, the only contest left to follow may be the variant championship bout between Delta and Omicron.
There are many reasons for the surge in positive Covid tests in sports. Pro athletes face a more intense testing regime than regular folk. Two-shot vaccine immunity is waning. Changing rooms and team buses are viral incubators. Fatigue over pandemic protocols that make life on the road even more isolating may also be playing a part.
In the US, 100 NFL players were flagged with Covid-19 in just three days. All eyes are on this weekend's clash between Cleveland and the Las Vegas Raiders since 18 Browns are on the Covid-19 protocol list. The National Basketball Association was the first major US sports league to take the pandemic seriously, and now has its first case of Omicron. Multiple NBA players are in Covid protocols and several Chicago Bulls games have been canceled.
North of the border, the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames have been snuffed out by the virus, leading to a flurry of canceled games with rival teams. Some NHL skaters are having second thoughts about heading to the Olympics in Beijing given draconian isolation protocols for anyone who tests positive – a precaution that could see them miss the flight home and weeks of games.
Across the Atlantic, Omicron is taking aim at the Premier League. Games involving Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have been scrubbed. Chelsea and Leicester have cases. There's even talk of a shutdown until next year that could scupper popular Christmas and New Year fixtures.
And even Down Under, Australia lost its cricket captain Pat Cummins before an Ashes clash after he came into contact with a Covid case. His absence didn't, however, stop the Baggy Greens putting England's bowlers to the sword as usual on the first day of the second Test.  'We are in the intensive protocols' "We are in the intensive protocols, which means you are wearing masks in the building, virtual meetings, cafeteria is just grab and go and those type of things, but we will get our work in," Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters about the team's Covid-19 precautions on Tuesday. "That is what we do. We have done it before. We will have our virtual meetings, and then when we are on the practice field, we will make sure that we are locked in and ready to go."
Stefanski himself has since tested positive for the virus. The world and America Facebook revealed vast spy-for-hire networks around the world.
 Drone video Wednesday captured a "dust bowl" sweeping across Colorado's mountains. (Kirk Fischer / NOAA) 'We've been scraping by' Because Covid-19 is spreading, cream cheese is not.
The United States is locked in a shortage of the white stuff, causing panic among New York's famed bagel chains, disappointing grocery store customers and leaving holiday season cheesecakes bereft of their key ingredient.
Restaurants and shops are trying to find stocks of cream cheese but have been hampered by supply chain crunches, port congestion and labor shortages. Danielle Wiener-Bronner writes for CNN Business that retailers now fear that the rising threat from Omicron could make things worse.
New Jersey cheesecake maker Junior's famed dessert is made of 85% cream cheese, and it says the shortage couldn't have come at a worse time. December is "our busiest month of the year," said company owner Allen Rosen. While Junior's has managed to fill orders so far, Rosen worries the outages could have an impact on last-minute holiday cake shopping. "We've been scraping by" for several weeks, he said, "getting cream cheese in sporadic supply and praying."
Junior's is appealing to Kraft Heinz, the food giant that owns the Philadelphia brand. "We're getting on the phone with them. We're talking, we're pleading, we're moving trucks around where we can," Rosen said. Thanks for sticking with us through the week. On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Honolulu. The UN Human Rights Council holds a special one-day session on the conflict in Ethiopia. Major protests expected in Tunis against the President.
On Saturday, more anti-mining protests are expected in Belgrade. Volunteers will place wreaths on the more than 253,000 headstones of military service members at Arlington National Cemetery. View in browser | All CNN Newsletters
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