U.S. braces for harsh weeks as Omicron surge has not yet peaked: Surgeon General

A medical worker takes a nasal swab sample from a man for COVID-19 testing in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

NEW YORK, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- The United States is bracing for "tough weeks" ahead in many parts of the country as the Omicron surge has not yet peaked, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has warned.

In an interview with CNN, Murthy spoke of the good news of the plateaus and drops in known cases in the Northeast, especially in New York City and New Jersey, while noting that challenges remain ahead, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

Medical workers take nasal swab samples for COVID-19 testing in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

"The challenge is that the entire country is not moving at the same pace," he said, adding "we shouldn't expect a national peak in the coming days," the report said.

"We have seen incredible challenges in our health care network," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told CBS in an interview as the Omicron variant had overwhelmed hospitals in his city. "It is a substantial concern."