The White House’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci has advised people in the United States to refrain from large gatherings over New Year.

Fauci urged Americans on Monday to “stay away” from large New Year’s Eve gatherings as the omicron variant spreads rapidly across the country.

“When you are talking about a New Year’s Eve party, where you have 30, 40, 50 people celebrating, you do not know the status of the vaccination — I would recommend strongly, stay away from that this year,” Fauci told CNN’s “New Day.” “There will be other years to do that, but not this year.”

Fauci, however, said vaccinated that vaccinated American’s can gather within a close family setting with other family members who are vaccinated and have received boosters.

He had given similar advice for gathering during the Christmas holiday.

Omicron estimated to be 58.6% of coronavirus variants in US: CDC

Meanwhile, the Omicron variant was estimated to be 58.6% of the coronavirus variants circulating in the United States for the week ending Dec. 25, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Earlier reports by the CDC indicated Omicron had become the dominant strain in the US.

The report estimated in some regions of the United States, namely, the Pacific Northwest, South and parts of the Midwest, Omicron was causing more than 90 percent of the new infections.

Source: Agencies