White House: "Biden to Announce Additional Omicron Measures Tomorrow"

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Joe Biden will announce additional measures to respond to the Omicron COVID-19 variant on the 29th (local time).

U.S. President Joe Biden is receiving a briefing on the Omicron COVID-19 variant from the COVID-19 response team, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, at the White House on the 28th.

On the 28th (local time), the White House stated that President Biden held a meeting with the COVID-19 response team, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), immediately after returning from the Thanksgiving holiday to assess the situation and announced additional response measures.

The 29th marks the day when the U.S. entry ban on travelers from countries where the Omicron variant has emerged, such as South Africa, which President Biden announced on the 26th, takes effect.

As Omicron infections spread in Europe and cases have been confirmed in Canada, the likelihood of Omicron outbreaks in the U.S. is increasing, raising the possibility of strengthened responses.

Dr. Fauci predicted in a media interview that Omicron will definitely occur in the U.S. During the meeting with President Biden, he emphasized that it would take about two weeks to obtain more accurate information about Omicron and that additional vaccinations (booster shots) are the most necessary measure at this time.

President Biden is expected to express his determination not to stand by and watch the virus spread during the two weeks it takes to secure more accurate information.

The Republican Party has criticized President Biden for not immediately blocking the entry of nationals from countries where Omicron has emerged into the U.S.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.