(CNSNews.com) - President Joe Biden opened a meeting with his COVID response team Thursday with a message to the White House press corps: "Folks, I’m not going to take questions today, because I have a direct message to the American people and tomorrow, the team is going to be on television and talking in more detail about what I’m going to be speaking about today."
Biden previously has joked that he'll get in trouble if he offers spontaneous answers to reporters' questions, and after speaking on serious issues, he often turns on his heel and walks away from the podium as frustrated reporters shout questions that go unanswered.
On Wednesday, Biden said:
I want to send a direct message to the American people: Due to the steps we’ve taken, Omicron has not yet spread as fast as it would’ve otherwise done and as is happening in Europe. But it’s here now, and it’s spreading, and it’s going to increase.
For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death — if you’re unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm.
But there’s good news: If you’re vaccinated and you had your booster shot, you’re protected from severe illness and death — period.
Biden urged everyone to get vaccinated.
Then he tried to give numbers, but even with a script in front of him, he fumbled:
"We’re in a situation where we have 83 percent of the American people who’ve gotten one shot — 12 years and older. Four hundred thousand shots per day now. Two hundred and two are fully vacc- — two hundred and two million are fully vaccinated.
"Fifty-seven -– excuse me –- five hundred and seventy –- excuse me –- I don’t want to read -– I’m not sure I got the right number. The — the total number of boosters is what?" he asked.
Dr. Anthony Fauci supplied the answer: "Fifty-seven million."
On Wednesday, Biden laughed and turned away from a reporter who asked him, "President Biden, on the 800,000 coronavirus deaths, do you have a statement on your responsibility? And why haven’t you asked China to do more to be transparent on the origins?"
During his presidential campaign, Biden promised to get the COVID pandemic "under control." He frequently blasted President Donald Trump's handling of the crisis, even going so far as to say, "I don’t trust the president on vaccines. I trust Dr Fauci."
On Wednesday, Fauci told CNN that Americans should be "prudent and careful" in public settings, including airports:
"When you go to the airport, particularly that is an indoor congregate setting, you don't know the vaccination status of people around you, then wear a mask. That is the CDC recommendation.
"I believe if people follow the recommendations of the CDC, about indoor masking, take the advice of getting vaccinated and getting boosted, we should be fine for the holidays and we should enjoy it with our family and our friends," said the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
But the words "I believe," "if," and "should be" don't sound very science based.