FILE - U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference in the State Dining Room at the White House on Nov. 6, 2021. FOX NEWS - As the omicron variant of the coronavirus is poised to become the new leading variant in the United States, many schools and businesses are closing their doors over what President Biden is predicting to be a winter of "severe illness and death."President Biden has previously claimed he would "shut down the virus," and added he would not "shut down the economy" or "shut down the country." Biden is set to speak to the country on Tuesday to outline additional steps he will take to combat the spread of the virus.