WASHINGTON D.C. (WBAP/KLIF News) – As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads nationwide, including here in Texas, President Biden will address the nation about his administration’s latest steps to battle the virus.
In the Tuesday afternoon speech, the president is expected to unveil details about plans to deliver 500 million free COVID-19 tests to Americans, increased support for hospitals and the expansion of accessibility to vaccines.
The federal government will also set up new testing sites and use the Defense Production Act to help manufacture more tests.
The Biden administration is gearing up to deploy 1,000 troops with medical skills in addition to federal medical personnel to Arizona, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Vermont.
The White House said the President will not issue any lockdowns.
The address comes ahead of what the nation’s top health experts predict to be an expected surge in cases and hospitalizations during the winter months.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the omicron is most dominant strain and accounts for 73% of new cases.
The first death in the U.S. connected to omicron was confirmed in Harris County. According to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, it was an unvaccinated man in his 50s with underlying health conditions.
The President is expected to double down on calls for all eligible Americans to get vaccinated and get a booster shot.
The speech is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CST.
WBAP will be carrying it live. You can also hear the speech via this link: http://bit.ly/1RxeW0T.
Copyright 2021. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.