Pres. Joe Biden Stays at Delaware Beach Home With No Public Events as Omicron COVID Variant Continues to Surge
US President Joe Biden joins the White House COVID-19 Response Teams regular call with the National Governors Association to discuss his administrations response to the Omicron variant and to hear from the Governors on the needs in their States at the White House in Washington, DC on December 27, 2021. NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden has been staying at his Delaware beach house Tuesday with no public events as the Omicron variant continues to ravage the country.

Republicans are criticizing the president for saying "there is no federal solution" to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual meeting with 25 governors.

According to Daily Mail, Biden, his wife Jill, and their new German Shepherd puppy named Commander arrived at the beach on Monday afternoon.

The president's public schedule for the day was blank, but it did not include any private meetings or phone calls he may hold during the day.

The White House reportedly announced a "lid" shortly after 10 a.m., meaning there will be no more public events with the president for the day. But the "lid" could be lifted anytime.

The president and the first lady will spend several days at their beach-side home.

Republicans Slam Joe Biden

The Republicans continued their attack against Joe Biden after he said there was "no federal solution" to combatting COVID-19.

The GOP noted a comment that Biden made in October 2020 and released a tweet insinuating that the president did retract his commitment to battling the pandemic.

The Republican National Committee tweeted, "BIDEN, TODAY: 'There is no federal solution' to COVID'." The committee added, "BIDEN, 2020: 'I'm going to shut down the virus'," and included footage of Biden from Monday's meeting with 25 governors.

Joe Biden had a meeting with 25 of the country's governors, both Republicans and Democrats, where he addressed the ongoing pandemic.

In his speech, the president told the governors that there was "no federal solution" to the Omicron variant that's causing COVID-19 cases to surge in the country. Biden noted that the solution was on the "state level."

The president then told the governors, "If you need something, say something." He said the federal government would support every state.

After his speech, the president asked White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients to open the floor to questions from the governors. However, Zients quickly said they were going to clear the press first.

Biden Administration Amid Omicron Variant

Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he made a bit of progress regarding the mass distribution of COVID rapid tests, the New York Post reported. The president made the remark as he took his new puppy to the beach near the family's Delaware vacation home.

Biden noted that he was on the phone most of the day, discussing a plan to distribute 500 million at-home rapid tests available to the public via direct order. However, it remains unclear how many tests each household will be allowed to request or how quickly they would be mailed.

Meanwhile, a new study shows that people infected with the Omicron variant may have increased immune protection against Delta, CNBC News reported.

South African scientists released the findings this week, saying it could be of help to countries where Omicron infections are rising.

Khadija Khan at the Africa Health Research Institute, who led the study, noted that the results are consistent with Omicron displacing the Delta variant "since it can elicit immunity which neutralizes Delta making re-infection with Delta less likely."

Because of this, the incidence of COVID severe disease would be reduced, the findings also stated. According to the study, the infection may change into something less disruptive to individuals and society.

However, the study has yet to be peer-reviewed. The study followed 13 people, 11 of whom had been infected with the Omicron variant.

Seven of the participants were vaccinated. Scientists cautioned that it is unclear whether increased protection was due to Omicron-induced antibodies, vaccination, or immunity from having a COVID infection previously.

The U.S. has confirmed 8,333 cases of the Omicron variant as of Monday morning. The Omicron variant was first identified in Botswana and South Africa in November.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Biden Addresses Omicron Response With National Governors Association - From Fox News