“It is here now, it is spreading, and it is going to increase,” Biden said at the White House on Thursday.

Biden also said his administration has taken steps to limit the spread of Omicron.

“Due to the steps we have taken, Omicron is not yet spread as fast as it happens in Europe,” he added.

In addition, Biden urged Americans to get vaccinated and said the booster shots work.

The Omicron variant has now been confirmed to be present in at least 36 US states and more than 75 countries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. However, the Delta variant still represents approximately 96 per cent of cases across the country, while the Omicron variant is estimated to represent about 3 per cent of US cases.