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With COVID-19 cases on the rise across the country, President Joe Biden has proposed a series of measures to combat the virus’s spread, including expanded at-home testing, new vaccine locations, and more federal support for “COVID-burdened” hospitals.
In a speech on Tuesday afternoon, Biden unveiled his “Winter Plan,” urging unvaccinated Americans to get their shots.
Despite the fact that the new Omicron variation spreads quicker than other coronavirus strains, he claims that vaccines continue to prevent people from serious disease and death.
“You have a real reason to be concerned if you aren’t properly vaccinated,” Biden added.
“You’re at a great danger of becoming ill, and if you do, you’re likely to infect others, including your friends and family.” Unvaccinated people have a much more increased chance of ending up in the hospital or even dying.”
New COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the United States, owing in part to the emergence of the more contagious Omicron strain, which the World Health Organization (WHO) designated as a “variant of concern” last month.
The WHO announced on Monday that Omicron is spreading “much quicker” than the previously dominant Delta form, citing “consistent evidence.” “People who have been immunized or who have recovered from COVID-19 are more likely to be contaminated or re-infected,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated.
As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Omicron is responsible for 73 percent of new infections in the US, and the rise in cases has forced some major US cities to tighten regulations and reinstate indoor mask mandates.
According to CDC data, more than 204 million people in the United States are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, with 60.8 million receiving a booster shot.
Despite the widespread availability of immunizations, Biden noted on Tuesday that tens of millions of people are still unvaccinated, prompting ongoing pleas from top health experts for Americans to receive vaccines to stop Omicron from spreading further.