Joe Biden assured, Tuesday, December 21, that the United States was “Ready” faced with the Omicron variant which surges, repeating that there was no reason to “Panic”, at least for vaccinated Americans. “We all need to be concerned about Omicron”, corn “We must not panic”, said the US president during a speech dedicated to the new variant, adding: “We are no longer in March 2020. We are ready. “
He thus quoted “Three big differences” with the start of the pandemic: first of all vaccines, but also the abundance of personal protective equipment for caregivers having to deal with the influx of unvaccinated in hospitals, and finally the knowledge accumulated on this virus.
Joe Biden was however keen to warn those who are not fully vaccinated, saying they had “Good reasons to be worried” and that he was their “Patriotic duty” to get vaccinated. “Those who have decided not to get the vaccine are responsible for their own choices, but those choices are fueled by misinformation on television and on social media.”, he also lamented.
The American president thus denounced the behavior “Immoral” of some companies that rake in profits by allowing the spread of lies “Who can kill their own customers”.
“We are always in the middle of it”
The White House had earlier detailed the strategy of the American president: tests, strengthened vaccination capacities and additional means for hospitals, but no new restrictions before Christmas. Long queues stretched out at the beginning of the week in front of testing centers across the United States. “It is not necessary to confine our schools or our economy”, assured a senior official of the White House.
The authorities will distribute 500 million free tests and mobilize a thousand doctors, nurses and members of the medical staff of the army. The United States will also give more than half a billion dollars in additional aid to international organizations to fight Covid-19 in the face of the Omicron outbreak.
This new variant represented 73.2% of new Covid-19 contaminations the past week in the United States. “I don’t think anyone expected this to spread so quickly”Joe Biden said in his remarks on Tuesday.
The US president also said he “Considered” lift travel restrictions on eight African countries, with Omicron now spreading around the world. And to conclude:
“I know you are tired. (…) And I know you are frustrated. We all want this to be over but we’re still right in the middle of it. “
