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President Biden getting updates on Omicron variant -White House

Published 11/27/2021, 02:21 PM
Updated 11/27/2021, 03:20 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks after touring the General Motors 'Factory ZERO' electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks after touring the General Motors 'Factory ZERO' electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been briefed on the latest situation regarding the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, the White House said on Saturday, as Britain, Germany and Italy reported detecting cases.

Biden, who is spending Thanksgiving with his family in Nantucket, Massachusetts, told reporters on Friday, "We don't know a lot about the variant except that it is of great concern, seems to spread rapidly."

Omicron was first detected in South Africa this week, leading countries around the globe, including the United States, to impose travel restrictions on the southern African nation and at least seven others in the region.

No cases of Omicron have been identified in the United States to date, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The agency expects that it would identify the variant quickly, if it emerges in the U.S.

But Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease specialist, said on NBC's "Weekend TODAY" show on Saturday, "I would not be surprised if it is."

"When you have a virus that is showing this degree of transmissibility and you're already having travel-related cases that they've noted in Israel and Belgium and other places, when you have a virus like this, it almost invariably is ultimately going to go essentially all over," Fauci said.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks after touring the General Motors 'Factory ZERO' electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 17, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The vice president told reporters on Saturday that the administration will take it "one step at a time," when asked about additional travel restrictions. "For now we've done what we think is necessary," Harris said.

The White House said senior health officials and its COVID response team have been monitoring the latest updates on Omicron and have been in regular touch with health officials around the world.

(Reporting Nandita Bose; writing by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Latest comments

Joe is on top of this like a misplaced street curb.
old joe is on the case...we got this people!
Just in time for pre-printed mail in ballots and ballot harvesting in preparation for the 2022 elections. Plus...more stimmy checks (more US Central Bank currency printing), stay at home watch Netflix, eat fatty foods and don't workout.
Dont forget to swing by the dispensary so you can enjoy true happiness.
Lowest approval rating
https://rumble.com/vpsyg4-south-africas-highest-court-set-to-free-the-continent-from-the-new-world-or.html
never let a crisis go to waste!
It’s from the South African Medical Association. It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two not feeling well. So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer the loss of taste or smell. They might have a slight cough. There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected some are currently being treated at home", Coetzee told the news agency. The official also added that the hospitals are not yet overburdened with the patients carrying this variant. Coetzee said that the variant won't affect people who are fully vaccinated but the situation 'might be different' for the unvaccinated.
Who skipped Nu, Xi because Xi is also Chia pres. it shows WHO is c/r ap.
Joe is planning his $2T Omicron stimulus package for quick passage in house and senate.
Hes not the president
Yawn nothing changes.
Time to move on with our lives.
Control, control, control….thats all the Dems want…..this is their next opportunity. Pretty sure all or most of them sold out on Wednesday before the rest of us got the news.
Of course they did. It’s what they do. Just ask Nancy.
According to South African doctors, the symptoms are less dangerous than the existing Delta variant. Thanks for nothing WHO
Symptoms are unusual but mild.
They never give us info like its less dangerous , they just pump thats its so contageous.
Ooooh - the pants pooper is getting “updates”.. that’s super encouraging..
real headline: President Boden falls sleep while his radical health advisors cry wolf again. I'm the end Boden woke up to find his pants soiled again.
in* the end....And Biden*
Is it deadlier? if not, life goes on
Covid cases in S Africa are at all time low. If this is what Fauci, the gov, media said, then Covid is exploding there. The numbers dont agree. Either they r d# or they think we r that d#
The media,rich, give manipulate the markets. If this mutant ‘fast spreading’ then south africa cases sky rocket, but their covid cases are at near all time low.
Change the tune
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