US Holds Strong Against COVID Lockdowns As Some Countries Issue Tight Delta, Omicron Restrictions

With cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 confirmed in at least 89 countries and spreading rapidly, nations around the world are enacting tighter COVID restrictions as the holidays close in. However, the U.S. is standing firm in its decision not to enter into another lockdown.

The nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that he didn’t “foresee” a lockdown in the U.S. even as Omicron is “raging through the world.”

“I don't see that in the future if we do the things that we're talking about. The thing that continues to be very troublesome to me and my public health colleagues is the fact that we still have 50 million people in the country who are eligible to be vaccinated who are not vaccinated,” he said.

The U.S. has fully vaccinated over 203.9 million people, accounting for 61.4% of the American population, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Omicron variant was first detected in South Africa in late November and has been steadily spreading around the world since.

Some countries with a large amount of Omicron cases are seeing the numbers double every 1.5 to three days, causing them to react with tighter COVID restrictions, CNBC reported.

On Sunday, the Netherlands went into a full lockdown that will last until mid-January that has closed everything but essential shops and supermarkets. Other restrictions in the country limit visitors to a household to two per day over the age of 13, with four per day from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26.

Ireland implemented an 8 p.m. curfew for bars, restaurants, theaters and entertainment venues from Monday to Jan. 30. Germany, Denmark, Norway and France all have travel restrictions for those arriving in the countries.

Spain and Italy are considering restrictions, according to CNBC.

In the U.K., one of the nations where Omicron has hit the hardest, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News on Monday that he couldn’t make “hard and fast guarantees” that stricter mandates would not be implemented.

The U.K. requires face masks in indoor spaces. It reported its first death from the Omicron variant on Dec. 13.