Diagnostic tests, enhanced vaccination capabilities and additional hospital facilities, but no new pre-Christmas restrictions: The White House today announced President Joe Biden’s strategy to halt the spread of the coronavirus strain Omicron.
A senior White House official explained in detail the measures Biden is expected to announce at 14:30 local time (21:30 Greek time), at a time when Omicron is responsible for most new infections in the United States.
The White House’s tone was reassuring: “We have the tools to deal with this wave,” he said. they will be able to celebrate Christmas and New Year in peace “.
“There is no need to close our schools or our economy,” he added.
“We will also point out that if someone is not vaccinated, they are at high risk of getting sick. “The variant strain (Omicron) is highly contagious and those who are not vaccinated are eight times more likely to be hospitalized and 14 times more likely to die from covid-19,” he said.
The US president is expected to explain today that Omicron is so contagious that it will infect vaccinated people, but they are less likely to get seriously ill.
Outbreaks appear to be exacerbated during childhood and adolescence in the United States, where 61% of the covid-19 immunized population of the United States is vaccinated.
The Biden administration’s response to the spread of Omicron is based on three pillars: more hospital facilities, more tests and more vaccines.
The federal government will mobilize 1,000 army doctors, nurses and medical staff to be deployed across the country in January and February, if needed, to support hospitals.
Washington will send additional emergency response teams to six states (Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, New Hampshire and Vermont) and will have ambulances available as well as medical supplies (respirators and personal protective equipment) needed by the hospital.
“We are ready for an increase, which we expect, in the number of vaccinated patients in the coming months,” the official said.
With holiday travel already underway in the US, the number of new covid-19 infections is rising in the country. Federal officials have pointed out that Omicron is already responsible for 73% of all new infections, up from just 1% at the beginning of the month.
The number of new infections has risen by 9% in the US over the past week and by 57% since the beginning of the month. At the same time, the number of patients has increased by 26%
Officials in Texas also announced the first death of a patient who had been infected by Omicron.
The Biden government will also act in a critical area, diagnostic tests, by purchasing 500 million self-tests for covid-19. These will be given free of charge to Americans who will be able to order them through a specialized website from January. However, it has not yet been decided how many tests each household will be entitled to.
At the same time, many federal diagnostic centers will be opened in New York in view of Christmas, while others will operate throughout the country, in areas where there is a need, at the request of local and state authorities.
The US federal government has also pledged to reopen vaccination centers.
“We have to take Omicron seriously, we have to worry, but we should not panic,” he said.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
.
