US President Biden: Omicron variant ‘not a cause for panic’

United States President Joe Biden called for calm during his Monday address regarding fears over the new omicron Covid variant.

“This variant is a cause for concern - not a cause for panic,” the president stressed.

He added that scientists are learning more about the new offshoot every day, promising that “we’re going to fight and beat this new variant.”

Biden urged all eligible Americans to get their vaccines and booster shots, as well as to continue wearing masks to prevent the spread of the virus.

“If people are vaccinated and wear their mask, there's no need for a lockdown,” he explained.

Additionally, the president said he “doesn't anticipate” implementing additional travel restrictions in addition to the immediate ban imposed on eight countries in southern Africa with omicron cases.

Biden met with Dr. Anthony Fauci and the White House Covid Response Team on Sunday to discuss the variant.

During the conference, Dr. Fauci told the president that “it will take approximately two more weeks to have more definitive information on the transmissibility, severity, and other characteristics of the variant,” a readout from the meeting explained.

However, “he continues to believe that existing vaccines are likely to provide a degree of protection against severe cases of Covid.”