President Joe Biden does not want to fight the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, which was first detected in South Africa, with lockdowns.

On Monday (Nov. 29), the president vowed that his administration would do everything it can to resist the Omicron variant “not with shutdowns or lockdowns, but with more widespread vaccinations, boosters, testing and more.” He told reporters that “if people are vaccinated and wear their masks, there’s no need for the lockdown.”

Biden said that his recent travel restriction on South Africa and several other countries will give the United States more “time” to prepare in case the new strain enters the country.

“It gives us time,” he said, adding that the American people need to “understand that you have to get your vaccine, you have to get the shot, have to get the booster.”

“Sooner or later, we’re going to see cases of this new variant here in the U.S.,” the president continued. “We’ll have to face this new threat like we’ve faced those that have come before it.”

Although health officials say the Omicron variant might evade immune protection, Biden said it is a “cause for concern, not a cause for panic.”

“We have the best vaccine in the world, the best medicines, the best scientists, and we’re learning more every single day,” he said, adding that the U.S. “will fight this variant with scientific and knowledgeable action and speed — not chaos and confusion.”

As REVOLT previously reported, the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the Omicron variant a “variant of concern” rather than a “variant of interest” due to its amount of mutations.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging all Americans to get the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot to decrease their chances of being seriously ill from the new strain. “It may not be as good at protecting against the initial infection but it has a very important impact on diminishing the likelihood that you’re going to get a severe outcome from it,” he said during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”