New Delhi: US President Joe Biden on Thursday warned the Americans that the Omicron variant of the coronavirus would spread much more rapidly in the country. He also urged the people of his country to get fully vaccinated or get a booster shot.


“The only real protection is to get your shot,” Biden said, adding “a winter of severe illness and death" for the unvaccinated. 


The US experienced an increase of 35 percent in Covid-19 infection cases in just a span of 14 days. As of December 1, the average of new daily cases of infection in the country was 86,000 which rose to 1,17,000 on December 14.


A few weeks earlier Biden had said that the new strain of the coronavirus was not a cause of worry. But on Thursday, after chairing a meeting regarding the pandemic, called the reporters and said, “vaccinated people should get a booster and the non-vaccinated should get their shots.”


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To curb the spread of the new strain, major US universities have been reverting to online classes. The National Football League (NFL) has also introduced stricter health controls after around 100 players tested positive. National Basketball Association popularly known as NBA has also postponed its games. 


According to the figures by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the US was currently reporting 1,150 Covid-19 deaths on an average.