NEW YORK CITY—The judge presiding over the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial has asked jurors to continue attending court ahead of the New Years period, expressing concern over the speed of spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant. Noting the “astronomical spike” in COVID-19 cases, Judge Alison Nathan requested that jurors be available to deliberate on Dec. 30 and 31, which were originally scheduled as days off for New Years. Additionally, the days will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., instead of finishing at 5 p.m. Nathan noted that the jurors can take as much time as they need to deliver their ruling. She also noted that, if they choose, they can stay later than 6 p.m. going forward. She said specifically she was “trying to avoid a mistrial due to the Omicron variant.” The jury is now into their fourth full day of deliberations on the innocence or guilt of Maxwell …