President Biden warned Thursday of an imminent surge of COVID-19 cases as the Omicron coronavirus variant continued to spread around the world and across the U.S. at an unprecedented pace.

President Joe Biden: “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.”

U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise, with nearly 1,300 people dying of the disease each day. Amid the surge, many prominent universities, including NYU, DePaul and Princeton, have returned to online classes. Cornell canceled most campus activities after 1,100 students tested positive for coronavirus in just one week.

The National Football League and National Basketball Association have announced new COVID-19 protocols after dozens of players tested positive this week.

Here in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to distribute 1 million high-quality masks and half a million at-home COVID-19 tests.