The Omicron coronaviruses variant was discussed during a press briefing at the White House.
The highly transmissible omicron variant drives U.S. Covid cases to their highest levels on New Year's Eve, according to the White House chief medical advisor.
Fauci said that small gatherings with family and friends are low risk if everyone is up to date on their vaccinations.
If you are going to a New Year's Eve party with all the bells and whistles, I would strongly recommend that you not do that this year.
His comments come as cities scale back their New Year's Eve celebrations. New York City limits the number of people that can attend its annual celebration at Times Square.
58,000 people attend the event. Proof of vaccine is required of all attendees.
Los Angeles decided to stream the New Year's Eve event instead of having a live audience. London, Paris, Rome, Tokyo, and other cities have stopped holding events.
Fauci said it is clear that omicron is highly transmissible. According to data from the University, there have been more than 265,000 new cases of covidien in a seven day period. The previous high was 252,000 cases on January 11, 2021.
The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that omicron has driven the increase in Covid infections. Walensky said that hospitalizations and deaths have not increased at the same rapid pace.
The indications so far show that omicron causes milder illness than the delta variant, which was the main strain in the U.S. during the fall. He cautioned that it is not certain whether pre-existing immunity is resulting in milder infections or if the omicron variant is less virulent than delta. Fauci warned that even if omicron is less severe, the variant could still strain hospital systems around the country.
The busy holiday season got underway in the U.S. over Thanksgiving, and Omicron came to the world's attention. The variant has made people uncertain about their plans to gather with friends.
Americans rushed to get tested over the holidays, overwhelming a supply chain unprepared for the surge in demand. Clinics and manufacturers are struggling to produce enough tests, and lines are sometimes hours long in cities such as New York.
