Biden lays out new efforts against omicron in address to nation
ABC News
The Biden administration's new efforts come as the omicron variant became the most dominant COVID-19 strain in the country Monday.
President Joe Biden detailed further steps his administration will take to slow the spread of omicron in an address to the nation on Tuesday, including an effort to distribute 500 million free at-home rapid tests to Americans next month, dispatch military members to overburdened hospitals and continue the push to vaccinate and boost all Americans.
"I want to start by acknowledging how tired, worried and frustrated I know you are," Biden began in his address to the nation from the White House. "For many of you, this will be the first or even the second Christmas we look across the table to see an empty kitchen chair."
He acknowledged that the highly transmissible omicron variant, which became the most dominant COVID strain in the country Monday, was raising concerns just as travel kicks off at nearly pre-pandemic levels for the holiday season.
"If you're not fully vaccinated, you have good reason to be concerned," Biden said. "Almost everyone who has died from COVID-19 in the past many months has been unvaccinated. Unvaccinated."
