Biden urged not to panic over the Omicron strain

The U.S. federal government is ready to provide additional support to state authorities in light of the spread of the Omicron strain in the country. U.S. President Joe Biden stated this in a meeting with state governors via video link.

“We discussed the increase in coronavirus infections, especially in light of the holidays. As I stated last week, Omicron is a source of concern, but should not be a cause for panic. The current situation in the U.S. is different than it was in March 2020 when the pandemic began. We are prepared, we know what we need to do to save lives, to protect people, to keep schools and businesses running. We just need to stay focused and keep working together. My message to governors is very simple – if you need something, say so. We will do everything we can to support you,” Biden said.

The U.S. president noted that the federal government has previously taken a number of steps to accelerate the distribution of the vaccine to the public and to make testing easier. But we need to do more, we need to do it more effectively.

Biden was asked whether he would be willing to support a shortened quarantine period for people previously infected with the coronavirus. “I rely on my medical assistants. If he makes recommendations, I follow them,” he replied.

Earlier this month, the U.S. federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that most of the new cases of coronavirus infection are from its omicron variant. More than 52.3 million cases of the coronavirus have been identified in the United States since the pandemic began, and more than 816,600 people have died, according to Johns Hopkins University, which does calculations based on federal and local information. For both of these indicators, the country ranks first in the world.