CDC chief on omicron cases: ‘There is really no need to panic’

Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Wednesday that “there is really no need to panic” as COVID-19 cases begin to surge amid the spread of the omicron variant.

Appearing on NBC’s “Today,” Walensky told anchor Craig Melvin that 73 percent of coronavirus cases in the U.S. are now attributable to the omicron variant, which she said was “expected” due to the variant’s rapid rate of spread.

“I do want to remind people that we are in a very different place than we were a year ago,” Walensky said. “We have vaccines. We have boosters, and we have all the science that demonstrates the prevention interventions like masking in indoor settings work to mitigate the spread of this virus.”

Walensky acknowledged that the omicron variant emerged quickly, noting that news of its first detection only broke about a month ago.

While the Biden administration has moved to free up more COVID-19 testing and provide more support to hospitals dealing with the surge, Walensky said, “We recognize we have more work to do.”

Families across the U.S. are expected to gather together for the holidays this week, and Melvin asked Walensky if fully vaccinated people can safely gather without having to get tested for the coronavirus beforehand.

Walensky emphasized the importance of being vaccinated for such gatherings, but also stressed that safely coming together has less to do with traveling and more to do with precautions that can mitigate the spread of the virus.

“Have you been practicing those safety prevention strategies? Or have you been out gathering in … public indoor settings without a mask on? Because that’s really when your exposure would have happened,” she said.