Biden gives COVID pep talk, tells govs that gov’t will help states
President Biden on Monday told governors from both parties to ask for federal help in the fight against COVID-19 as omicron fuels an unprecedented surge in caseloads and a run on testing.
As the White House coronavirus task force held its latest meeting, Biden told leaders of 25 states that the federal government is anxious to help with testing and medical surge teams.
“If you need something, say something,” the president said on a video conference call with members of the National Governors Association. “We’re going to have your backs any way we can.”
Biden spoke amid soaring case counts fueled by omicron, which is much more transmissible than previous strains of COVID.
“Omicron is a cause for concern but not for panic,” Biden said. “We know what it takes to keep people alive and keep schools and businesses open.”
The seven-day average daily caseload has jumped above 200,000, even as some states are not reporting figures due to the holiday weekend. New York State recorded nearly 50,000 cases on Sunday alone as figures continue to break all records.
Biden admitted to widespread shortages of testing as hourslong lines have been growing outside of clinics, especially in New York City and other hard-hit areas like Florida.
People hunting for at-home rapid tests have found mostly empty drug store shelves even as Biden vows to get the first of 500 million tests available for Americans to order online available next month.
“Seeing how tough it was for people to get a test shows we have more work to do and we’re doing it,” Biden said.
Meanwhile, the White House’s chief science adviser on the pandemic response said the U.S. should consider a vaccine mandate for air travel in order to try and slow the spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said such a mandate would make air travel safer as more and more Americans book flights and literal shots in arms would give a figurative shot in the arm to the nation’s plateauing vaccination numbers.
“If you’re making a requirement for vaccination for people to get on planes who are coming into the country, that’s understandable,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told MSNBC on Monday. “You don’t want to bring more cases into the country. But if you’re talking about requiring vaccination to get on a plane domestically, that is just another one of the requirements that I think is reasonable to consider.”
“When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated,” Fauci said. “If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered.”
Fauci also said the number of people infected is sure to rise much higher as omicron spreads even with breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated people. But the doctor said reports from South Africa, where omicron was first identified, are encouraging in that the numbers have fallen quickly from their peak. It also appears to cause less serious symptoms.
“I do hope that we do have ... a diminution in the severity,” Fauci said Monday on CNN. “But we still could have a surge on hospitals particularly among the unvaccinated, which they’re really worried about.”
Fauci added that fully vaccinated Americans can try to keep to a normal routine, but should avoid crowded New Year’s parties.
“There will be other years to do that, but not this year,” Fauci said.