Biden Shares His Thinking on Omicron

It's a 'cause for concern, not panic,' president says of new variant
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 29, 2021 11:45 AM CST
Biden Shares His Thinking on Omicron
President Biden speaks to the media as he arrives on Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Biden on Monday spoke about the emerging Omicron variant, calling it "a cause for concern, not a cause for panic." And he reiterated familiar advice from Dr. Anthony Fauci and the White House: Get vaccinated, including booster shots. "Dr. Fauci believes that the current vaccines provide at least some protection against the new variant and that boosters strengthen that protection significantly," Biden said, per the Washington Post. The president addressed reporters after meeting with his COVID advisers, reports NBC News. "We're throwing everything we can at this virus, tracking it from every angle, and that's what we have to keep doing," he said.

Biden added that his administration was working with the major vaccine manufacturers and would move quickly to get any tweaked vaccines on the market as quickly as possible. It could be a few weeks before the manufacturers know whether that is necessary. While Biden encouraged people to wear masks in crowded indoor locales, he said he did not expect to impose further travel restrictions because of the variant. Detected cases are springing up in multiple nations, including Canada, but so far not in the US. "Sooner or later we’re going to see cases of this new variant here in the United States," said Biden. "We’ll have to face this new threat just as we face those that come before it." (More omicron variant stories.)

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