President Joe Biden is set to address the nation on Tuesday as cases of the coronavirus continue to rise.
The president is expected to outline additional measures the White House is taking to deal with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, according to Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Biden will also deliver a message to people who haven't received a COVID vaccine yet, Psaki said.
"[The president] will announce new steps the Administration is taking to help communities in need of assistance, while also issuing a stark warning of what the winter will look like for Americans that choose to remain unvaccinated," Psaki tweeted on Saturday.
Biden is expected to build off his previously announced Winter Plan to fight COVID-19 with "widespread vaccinations and boosters and testing" and avoid shutdowns and lockdowns.
"We are prepared for the rising case levels, and [the president] will detail how we will respond to this challenge," Psaki added. "He will remind Americans that they can protect themselves from severe illness from COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and getting their booster shot when they are eligible."
The U.S. is currently averaging nearly 126,000 COVID cases a day, according to latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Back on Nov. 1, the average was around 75,000. Officials are worried the number will continue spiking as more and more cases of the Omicron variant are confirmed.
Data shows the highly transmissible Omicron variant has been identified in 43 U.S. states and 89 countries. The World Health Organization said cases are doubling every one-and-a-half to three days. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, has said Omicron will become the dominant COVID-19 variant in the U.S. within a few weeks.
Federal health officials have encouraged everyone who is eligible to consider getting a booster -- that's anyone age 16 or older who is fully vaccinated. About 29.5% of the fully vaccinated population has received a booster shot, according to the CDC.
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