Dr. Fauci Says Only Small Family Holiday Gatherings Are Safe–As Long As Everyone’s Vaccinated & Boosted

With the surge in new infections fueled by the now-dominant Omicron Variant of the coronavirus, many are being forced to cancel travel plans, reconsider visiting loved ones, and decide whether or not they should be attending any large holiday parties as the United States faces a second December disrupted by the virus.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging everyone to keep it to their nearest and dearest once again this year, saying those Americans vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 can be with family over the holidays but attending large gatherings is not safe, even for those who have received a booster dose.

Early evidence indicates Omicron is less severe than the Delta variant, said Dr. Fauci, citing studies from South Africa and Scotland, but warned Americans must remain cautious.

Biden, Fauci and Democrats have NOT cancelled Christmas. The fucking antivaxxing Trumpers have cancelled Christmas by spreading Covid from sea to shining sea. I’m 😡 pissed.

— Y'all hurry up🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🇺🇸 (@catfishyak) December 23, 2021

The seven-day average of COVID-19 cases in the United States rose 25% from the previous week to about 149,300 cases per day, said U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, with average daily deaths up 3.5% at 1,200.

The Omicron variant spreads more easily than the original virus that causes #COVID19. Help stop Omicron by using all the tools to protect yourself and others.

Learn more: https://t.co/wbu65L0mgM.

— CDC (@CDCgov) December 22, 2021

Omicron represents approximately 73% of cases across the country, said Dr. Walensky, and as high as 90% of cases in some areas, such as the eastern Atlantic states, parts of the Midwest, South, and northern Pacific states.

We should all be concerned about Omicron, but not panicked.

If you’re fully vaccinated — and especially if you got boosted — you’re highly protected.

But if you’re unvaccinated, you’re at higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19, getting hospitalized, and dying.

See Also

WATCH: Scarborough Slams Republicans Who Say AR-15s Are For Hunting

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 23, 2021

But there’s good news on the horizon as the Food and Drug Administration authorized Paxlovid, Pfizer’s pill for at-risk people aged 12 and above, on Wednesday. And President Joe Biden has promised over one billion at-home COVID tests which can be mailed to anyone who requests one via a website that will soon be available.

Omicron is replaying our past pandemic mistakes on fast-forward.

Here's a piece about 6 errors that we keep repeating, jointly written by your very tired pandemic reporters–@KatherineJWu, @sarahzhang, and me. https://t.co/iwWc6PmXh5

— Ed Yong (@edyong209) December 23, 2021

Watch the latest CDC briefing, below.