WASHINGTON - US media outlet Vox said in a recent report that almost two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, the United States now still lacks a clear goal in the fight against the virus.

Published on Dec.6, the article said although US officials' initial objective was to "flatten the curve," they have never articulated what level of COVID-19 the country can tolerate ever since the outset of the pandemic.

"Even as government officials have ramped up and scaled down restrictions, they've seldom given clear standards - goals with specific metrics attached to them - explaining what's driving the changes," it said.

"Instead, officials across the country seemingly adopted and eased rules based on media attention, political sentiments, and public backlash," it said.

"How many cases, hospitalizations, or deaths are we willing to tolerate? Or are those even the right metrics?" asked the article. "Public officials, at least, aren't offering clear answers."

The article came amid renewed worries worldwide caused by the emergence and fast spread of the Omicron variant, which the article said necessitates a clarification from US leaders as to "what, exactly, the point of new precautions would be."