President Biden said on Monday he will unveil his plan to tackle the new omicron variant of COVID 19 and that the strategy will not include more lockdowns. Biden plans to rely on vaccines to combat the latest version of the virus to pose a serious threat.
Biden said that Americans who are eligible for a booster shot have no excuse for not getting one, as he spoke to CEOs of various companies about the holiday shopping season and his administration's work to address the supply chain crisis.
Biden said on Thursday that he's going to put forward a detailed strategy for dealing with this new variant. It is not a shutdown or lockdown, but more widespread vaccination, more boosters, testing, and more.
Biden's determination to avoid shutdowns is an echo of former President Trump's strategy, often criticized by Democrats of resisting closing businesses during the epidemic.
Biden said that the best protection against this new variant is to get fully vaccinated and get a booster shot. I urge all Americans who haven't done that to get it done today. There are over 80,000 places where you can get it done. It's free, it's available, and if you qualify for the booster, get it done today. Biden said earlier Monday that he made comments on the omicron variant at the White House with Dr. Anthony Fauci, which the World Health Organization designated as a variant of concern, its most serious designation for a COVID-19 variant.
The president stressed that all individuals, whether vaccinated or not, should wear masks and face coverings in public settings.
When asked why he was taking shutdowns off the table, the president said: If people are vaccinated and wearing masks, there is no need for the lockdowns. Biden said that he will always make sure our people are protected first while noting that both the delta and omicron variants of COVID 19 emerged elsewhere in the world.