President Joe Biden downplayed the need for more lockdowns after restricting travel to South Africa due to the slow spread of a new variant, called omicron, that was first identified in the country.
Biden said during an address Monday that Americans need to get a booster shot as the best way to protect against the new variant, even as major questions about the impact of it remain. The remarks come as hospitals are already reeling from the previous COVID-19 surge fueled by the delta variant along with a major staffing shortage.
