New variant cause for concern, not panic, Biden tells US

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden called the new coronavirus variant omicron a cause for concern but "not a cause for panic" Monday and said he was not considering any widespread U.S. lockdown. He urged Americans anew to get fully vaccinated, including booster shots, and return to face masks indoors in public settings to slow any spread.

Speaking Monday at the White House, Biden said it was inevitable that the new variant would reach the U.S., but he also said the country has the tools necessary to protect Americans - particularly the approved vaccines and booster shots.

When omicron arrives, and it will, Biden said, America will "face this new threat just as we've faced those that have come before

https://www.startribune.com/new-variant-cause-for-concern-not-panic-biden-tells-us/600121829/it."