TRANSCRIPT
The Inside Story: Omicron’s Ominous Outlook
Episode 17 – December 9, 2021
Show Opening Graphic:
Voice of CAROLYN PRESUTTI, VOA Correspondent:
Travel restrictions are back as OMICRON is the latest variant testing the world’s defenses against the coronavirus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Adviser to the President:
We needed to buy some time to be able to prepare, understand what's going on. What is the nature of this infection.
CAROLYN PRESUTTI:
As Omicron spreads, find out how to protect you and your family.
And go inside the effectiveness of vaccines on The Inside Story: Omicron’s Ominous Outlook.
The Inside Story:
CAROLYN PRESUTTI:
Hi, I’m Carolyn Presutti reporting from Washington.
As most of the northern hemisphere heads inside for the winter months, a new coronavirus variant is threatening to extend a pandemic that is nearing the two-year mark.
First identified three weeks ago by scientists in South Africa, the World Health Organization named the variant Omicron ---continuing through the Greek alphabet to identify the variants of the virus. More on that a bit later in the show.
But this variant is now showing up all over the world, including the United States.
As public health officials gather data about Omicron’s impact and transmission, travel restrictions and testing requirements are being re-introduced. All, just in time for another holiday travel season.
Let’s go inside the US response with VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA, VOA White House Bureau Chief:
Planning to visit the United States? Be prepared to follow more stringent COVID-19 protocols.
In addition to being fully vaccinated, starting next week inbound travelers, regardless of nationality, must show a negative test within one day of departure, instead of three days under the previous rule.
U.S. President Joe Biden:
This tighter testing timetable provides an additional degree of protection as scientists continue to study the omicron variant. And we are extending the requirement to wear masks for travel on aircraft, trains, public transportation through the winter months.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
President Joe Biden announced the measures Thursday, together with plans to increase vaccine and booster outreach for seniors and children and making COVID tests free and more widely available – a multipronged strategy to deal with the new omicron variant and avoid lockdowns.
An individual who traveled from South Africa tested positive in California on Wednesday; the first omicron case detected in the U.S. The Biden administration has restricted travel from nine African countries including South Africa, where the variant was first detected.
In the next 100 days, the U.S. will also send an additional 200 million doses of COVID vaccine abroad.
U.S. President Joe Biden:
I'll always make sure that our people are protected first. But vaccinating the world is not just a moral tool, a moral obligation that we have, in my view – it's how we protect Americans as we're seeing with this new variant.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
Doses will also be sent to conflict zones and other humanitarian settings such as refugee camps, part of a deal brokered by the administration between Johnson and Johnson and the international vaccine sharing mechanism COVAX, to immunize people not reached by government programs.
Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary:
We work through trusted global health partners like the United Nations, other NGOs that are trusted who can get humanitarian assistance and aid, including vaccine doses into communities.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
A recent Duke University analysis said that to reach the U.N.’s year-end goal of vaccinating at least 40 percent of the world’s population, low and lower middle-income countries need an additional 650 million doses beyond what they are scheduled to receive from COVAX.
Krishna Udayakumar, Duke Global Health Innovation Center:
That might seem like a lot, but we have also projected that high income countries – so members of the G-7 and the European Union – will likely have more than 800 million excess doses available that they can reallocate after taking care of domestic needs, after taking care of boosters.
PATSY WIDAKUSWARA:
While equitable distribution of doses remains an issue, in many parts of the world the bigger problem may be skepticism that COVID vaccines are safe and effective. The Biden administration says it is also helping other countries overcome vaccine hesitancy in their population. Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News, at the White House.