California Gov. Gavin Newsom will mandate all state healthcare workers to get a booster shot for COVID-19 in an effort to protect patients and hospital staff.

“California will require healthcare workers to get their booster. With Omicron on the rise, we’re taking immediate actions to protect Californians and ensure our hospitals are prepared," Newsom posted on Twitter.

The mandate comes as the highly contagious Omicron variant accounts for 73% of all coronavirus cases in the U.S. It is still unknown if the Omicron variant causes less severe symptoms compared to other strains of the virus such as the Delta variant. Newsom is expected to reveal more details about healthcare worker requirements in a press conference Wednesday in Alameda County.

The Omicron variant has spread to 38 different countries, according to the World Health Organization.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferer discussed the growing anxiety over the fast-spreading variant, noting the vaccine puts the state in a better position to combat the virus.

“We’re obviously going to look very carefully at what are the strategies that are appropriate as we see more and more cases,” Ferer said.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he doesn’t see the city going into lockdown, but indoor mask mandates will likely continue as cases go up and hospitals need to be carefully monitored.

President Joe Biden says 200 million people have been vaccinated and those who have received a booster shot are “highly protected” against the virus.

“We all want this to be over. But we’re still in it. And this is a critical moment. We also have more tools than we ever had before. We’re ready. We’ll get through this,” Biden said.

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