The Biden administration said there isn’t a need for lockdowns as the U.S. battles a coronavirus surge and the omicron variant threatens to romp through states in the coming weeks.
“There is no need to lock down. We have effective vaccines, we have booster shots for all adults, we have vaccines for ages 5 to 11. That means we now have vaccines for 95% of Americans,” White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said. “We’re not going to shut down our economy in any way. We’re going to keep our schools and our businesses open.”
Some states, including New York and California, have reimposed mask mandates in light of surging cases and the new threat, while Philadelphia Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole has urged city residents to avoid in-person family gatherings over the holidays.
“We’re now entering what could be the most dangerous time since last winter,” Dr. Bettigole said.
White House officials said they continue to believe that getting vaccinated and boosted is the best way to combat omicron and that people in high-transmission areas should wear masks in public indoor spaces.
Their adherence to existing tools comes as South Africa battles an exponential rise in cases and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns of a “tidal wave of omicron.” Parts of Britain have strengthened mask and proof-of-vaccination rules and encouraged people not to mix several households over the holidays.
“Vaccines are the best line of defense against COVID, plain and simple. They keep people out of the hospital and save lives,” Mr. Zients said. “We have the tools to fight this virus, including omicron.”
Roughly 3% of sequenced coronavirus samples in the U.S. are of the omicron variant. But omicron is likely to become far more prevalent in the coming weeks and could out-compete the delta strain at some point.
“We expect to see the proportion of omicron cases here in the United States continue to grow in the coming weeks,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Early data suggest the omicron variant is more transmissible than delta with a doubling time of about two days.”
All told, 36 states and 75 countries have reported cases from omicron, which was first detected in South Africa in late November and has an unusual amount of mutations.
Dr. Walensky said the variant appears to be more prevalent than the national average in New York and New Jersey, where omicron could make up 13% of all cases.
Federal scientists reiterated the need for vaccinated persons to get a booster shot once eligible, citing lab studies that showed persons with an extra dose will enjoy greater protection against the omicron variant than persons who rely on two doses.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the first doses of vaccines are good but the booster shot is better.
“Our booster vaccine regimens work against omicron,” he said. “At this point, there is no need for a variant-specific booster, and so the message remains clear: If you are unvaccinated, get vaccinated. And particularly in the arena of omicron, if you are fully vaccinated, get your booster shot.”
Dr. Fauci said the administration is not too worried about younger people who recently become eligible for a primary vaccine series and cannot get a booster for several months.
He said younger persons generally see better outcomes from the disease, but “this is something we will continue to examine.”
“We continually look at the durability of response and level of response,” Dr. Fauci said.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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