US president Joe Biden on Thursday warned of “a winter of severe illness and death” for those not vaccinated against Covid-19, amid a wave of Delta infections and as new Omicron cases are beginning to surge in America and across the world including Europe and Asia.
The US president spoke as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the Omicron variant could peak as early as January and states are scrambling to prepare for overloaded hospitals.
The US has passed 800,000 coronavirus deaths, including one in 100 Americans over the age of 65.
After a briefing on the pandemic from advisers on Thursday afternoon, Biden said Omicron is “now spreading and it’s going to increase”.
US president Joe Biden on Thursday warned of “a winter of severe illness and death” for those not vaccinated against Covid-19, amid a wave of Delta infections and as new Omicron cases are beginning to surge in America and across the world including Europe and Asia.
The US president spoke as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the Omicron variant could peak as early as January and states are scrambling to prepare for overloaded hospitals.
The US has passed 800,000 coronavirus deaths, including one in 100 Americans over the age of 65.
After a briefing on the pandemic from advisers on Thursday afternoon, Biden said Omicron is “now spreading and it’s going to increase”.
“For the unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death,” he said, urging Americans to get vaccinated and get their boosters as soon as possible.
Meanwhile the G7 has called the Omicron variant the “biggest current threat to global public health”, warning it is now “more important than ever” for countries to “closely cooperate”.
Britain, which is currently chair of the group, said in a statement on Thursday:
Deeply concerned by the rise in cases, ministers agreed that these developments should be seen as the biggest current threat to global public health.
It is more important than ever to closely cooperate, and monitor as well as share data.”
The G7 health ministers earlier held their final meeting hosted by Britain, which has seen a surge in cases over recent days, registering record numbers and a record day of booster jabs on Thursday.
The ministers focussed on global access to diagnostics, genome sequencing, vaccines and therapeutics in a bid to combat its spread.
“They also agreed on the increasing importance of booster campaigns and regular testing alongside continued non-pharmaceutical measures,” the statement said.
