Phil Mickelson DIVIDES OPINION with yet another tweet about Omicron
Golf fans split over Phil Mickelson's Christmas Day tweet about what experts should do about the Omicron variant.
Phil Mickelson has followed up on his recent Omicron tweet by declaring he has received "lots of support to let it spread".
Mickelson first posted a tweet on Christmas Eve asking for "no hate" regards his views about the new Omicron variant, stating he was not a doctor but felt people should just "get it and develop immunity."
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The six-time major champion then followed up with a fresh tweet on the subject on Christmas Day.
And it's fair to say plenty of Mickelson's followers have jumped all over what he had to say:
Thank you all for your spirited responses
Lots of support to let it spread. Top reasons to try and contain it
1)overrun hospitals and medical workers
2)severity is unknown
3)loved ones with compromised immunity it could be deadly
I’m curious to see SA and what occurs there.— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) December 26, 2021
"Thank you for your spirited responses [crying laughter face," tweeted Mickelson, who has just over 800,000 followers on Twitter.
"Lots of support to let it spread. Top reasons to try and contain it.
"1) overrun hospitals and medical workers, 2) severity is unknown, 3) loved ones with compromised immunity it could be deadly.
"I'm curious to see SA (South Africa) and what occurs there."
RELATED: PHIL MICKELSON ASKS FOR "NO HATE" FOLLOWING HIS VIEWS ABOUT OMICRON
As Mickelson points out in his tweet, the Omicron variant was first picked up in South Africa earlier this month, but reports have emerged in recent days that the country is now experiencing a rapid decline in Covid cases.
However, some hospitals in South Africa are reporting increased numbers of hospitalised patients, and the story is little different elsewhere in the world.
According to offical reports on Christmas Day, the growing wave of Omicron cases has helped drive Covid rates to record highs in England, with one in 35 people now infected across the country and one in 20 infected in London.
It is estimated by the Office for National Statistics that almost 3% (1,544,600) of people in England had Covid between 13 and 19 December, with infection rates higher than last week in all regions of the country except in the south west.
“Lots of support to let it spread” is why we’re in the f’ing mess we’re in
— Max A Million (@mbdavis1976) December 26, 2021
Phil-you’re the best! Thank you for asking reasonable questions and providing reasonable answers. Big time rooting for you in 2022! Thanks for all you do for golf.
— Kevin (@KevinR1916) December 26, 2021
In the United States where Mickelson is from, the Omicron variant is said to account for nearly 75% of all coronavirus cases in the country and as many as 90% in some areas such as the Eastern Seaboard.
The average number of new US Covid cases has risen 45% to 179,000 per day over the past week.
While recent research suggests Omicron produces milder illness and a lower rate of hospitalizations than previous variants of Covid-19, health officials have maintained a cautious note about the outlook.
Close to 1,000 flights were scrapped by US airlines on Christmas Day as a result of Covid-19 infections sidelining a number of pilots and cabin crew - causing huge disruption for families looking to visit loved ones over the festive weekend.
It is understood that 957 Christmas Day flights, including domestic flights and those into and out of the United States, were cancelled. That stat is up 690 flights on Christmas Eve.
Check out the full thread in Mickelson's tweet above to see what golf fans are saying about the Omicron variant.
Where do you stand on what is happening with Covid cases? Is Covid getting in the way of your time on the golf course and time spent in the clubhouse? Share your thoughts and comments on our social media channels.
