Joe Biden Urges Concern But Not Alarm as Omicron Variant Cases Rise; President Doubles Order for Pfizer's Paxlovid Pill

President Joe Biden attempted to calm fears about the Omicron coronavirus variant on Tuesday, emphasizing that COVID-19 vaccines protect against serious diseases caused by the virus.

Speaking before a meeting with his COVID-19 advisers at the White House, Biden said the United States has the capabilities to protect Americans from serious disease caused by the virus. He also pushed for keeping schools open at a time when the number of cases is on the rise; some school systems are electing to restart the school year remotely.

US COVID-19 cases soar to more than 1 million a day

On Monday, the United States recorded over 1 million COVID-19 instances, owing in part to backlogs over the New Year's vacation. COVID-19 infections are currently averaging over 480,000 per day in the United States. Hospitals in several areas have been overburdened, prompting the federal government to dispatch workers to assist with the influx of patients, The Hill reported.

However, there is some encouraging news regarding the protection provided by COVID-19 vaccinations against omicron. Vaccines and booster doses have been demonstrated to protect against severe illness caused by the Omicron variant.

That's why Biden and government health officials are urging people who haven't been vaccinated to get one as soon as possible, as well as those who are eligible for booster shots. Approximately 66 percent of eligible adult Americans have received a full COVID-19 vaccination, with nearly a third receiving a booster shot, according to the CDC.

President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday that coronavirus danger has been greatly decreased thanks to vaccinations and treatment medications. Although the US has given out over 500 COVID-19 vaccines, only 62 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

The news comes as the United States has quadrupled its order for Pfizer's COVID-19 antiviral therapy. Paxlovid will now be procured in 20 million courses, with four million ready by the end of January, according to the drugmaker and the White House.

Joe Biden erroneously states it's '2020'

Per Sky News, it was proven to be approximately 90% effective in reducing mortality and hospitalization among high-risk individuals in a clinical experiment. It was previously allowed for those above the age of 12, and another pill, molnupiravir, was approved in the United States only last month.

In the United States, the Omicron variant, which spreads more easily but appears to be less severe than Delta, is the most common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it accounted for 95% of new cases last week. As individuals rush to get their hands on tests, the White House announced on Tuesday that it was finalizing negotiations to purchase 500 million of them for free distribution to the general population.

President Biden reassured Americans on Tuesday that there was reason to be optimistic about "2020" - four days into 2022, he misspoke and said the wrong year. Biden's post-New Year's gaffe came as the president urged people to keep wearing masks and get COVID-19 vaccines, citing the Omicron variant's record-high infection rates.

Biden's political opponents frequently claim that he is becoming senile, and during the 2020 campaign, former President Donald Trump accused Biden of being "mentally shot." Biden's defenders argue that he's just prone to making mistakes, citing decades of examples.

Biden, 79, is the oldest president; and his mental abilities are increasingly being questioned. Last month, Biden made the same mistake he had made twice before when referring to his vice president, Kamala Harris, as "President Harris," as per NY Post.