SAN Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and local health officials are urging San Diegans to get vaccinated and boosted to protect against the new dominant COVID-19 variant, omicron.

“My message to San Diegans is simple: get vaccinated. Do not wait. It’s up to each one of us to protect each other and support stability in our health care system by vaxxing and masking to stop the spread of COVID-19,” Mayor Gloria said in a statement.

The mayor said he agrees with President Joe Biden’s nationwide address outlining federal actions to help stop the spread of the omicron variant.

“This president understands that the way out of the pandemic is through vaccines. Vaccines are safe, effective, free and widely available,” Gloria said. “Everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and boosted should do so as soon as possible to protect their families, neighbors and communities.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, among the unvaccinated, there are 6 deaths per 100,000 people. Among the vaccinated that drops considerably to 0.5., among those boosted it’s 0.1 death rate.

Federal health officials reported on Monday, Dec. 20 the variant accounted for 73% of new infections last week. In some parts of the United States, omicron comprise 90 percent of the cases while in California, about 60% of new cases are omicron.

San Diego County’s case rates have risen significantly in the last several days, with more than 1,000 cases reported three of the last four days, the first time that has happened since the summer spike, according to a Fox 5 report.

“Local experts predict that San Diego will experience a surge in the coming days. Hospitals across the nation are filling up with unvaccinated individuals, delaying care for all patients, including victims of car accidents and other trauma. Everyone is affected when our health care system becomes overburdened.

Earlier this week, President Biden announced his administration’s efforts to combat the surge of omicron infections as he warned those who have declined to get shots that they run a much higher risk of becoming ill or hospitalized.

“I know some Americans are wondering if you can safely celebrate the holidays with your family and friends,” Biden said. “The answer is, yes you can if you and those you celebrate with are vaccinated, particularly if you’ve gotten your booster shot.”

He also announced the purchase of 500 million at-home rapid COVID-19 tests, to be available for free next month and sent through the mail.

The CDC has compiled a list of recommendations for those planning to gather for the holidays, among them: