Some federal agencies are planning to require employees to return to the office. A memo sent to Commerce Department employees on Friday from Don Graves, the deputy secretary, outlined a plan to start a “staggered approach to return” beginning in January. Ms. Psaki said on Monday that everyone who worked in the administration was encouraged to receive a booster shot and that “99 percent” of the White House staff had received one.
The Coronavirus Pandemic: Latest Updates
- SpaceX reports 132 coronavirus cases at its headquarters in Southern California.
- Duke University joins a growing list of schools requiring booster shots for staff and students.
- New York’s health commissioner tests positive as Omicron surges.
Still, a memo sent to the staff on Monday afternoon provided a link to schedule a Pfizer dose and a plea: “The best way to protect yourself and others is by being fully vaccinated and receiving a booster as soon as you are eligible.” Both memos were obtained by The New York Times.
In his speech on Tuesday, Mr. Biden is expected to encourage the public to receive a booster shot as soon as they are eligible.
President Donald J. Trump, who for years falsely claimed that vaccines were dangerous and pointedly declined to be seen receiving his coronavirus vaccine while he was in office, told the Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on Sunday that he had received a booster.
The Coronavirus Pandemic: Key Things to Know
Card 1 of 5The Omicron variant. The new Covid variant appears to be highly transmissible, though it remains unclear if it is less severe than other forms of the virus. New studies indicate that vaccines, and especially their boosters, may offer protection against severe disease.
Omicron and vaccines. A booster shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine significantly raises the level of antibodies that can thwart the variant, the companies announced this month. Though all vaccines seem to prevent serious illness, the non-mRNA shots relied on by most of the world are unlikely to stop Omicron infections.
Biden’s vaccine mandate. A federal appeals panel on Dec. 17 reinstated a Biden administration rule requiring larger companies to mandate that their workers get vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit to weekly testing by Jan. 4. A day later, the Labor Department said that it would delay that deadline until Feb. 9.
A new U.S. surge. The C.D.C said that the Omicron variant’s rapid spread in the U.S. may portend a surge in infections as soon as January, but cases are already spiking. On Dec. 17, New York officials reported the state’s highest single-day total of new cases.
Kids and schools. Pfizer said that a low dose of its vaccine did not produce an adequate immune response in 2- to 5-year-olds in ongoing clinical trials. Meanwhile, the C.D.C. announced “test-to-stay” guidelines that allow unvaccinated students exposed to the virus to stay in school if they remain asymptomatic.
Their audience, at a speaking tour stop in Houston, began to boo, according to a video distributed by one of Mr. O’Reilly’s social media accounts.
“Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t,” Mr. Trump said, waving his arm to dismiss the naysayers and downplaying the reaction.
Mr. Biden’s advisers have pointed out that they have taken extra precautions to keep him safe from exposure, including protocol that requires day-of testing if an official is to meet with him. Officials who see the president every day are therefore tested every day, an administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning.