In response to Omicron variant of Covid19, countries like Israel, Morocco, Japan and South Korea have closed off foreign travel as European nations too shut their borders specifically to travelers from southern Africa.<br />''<br />''US President Joe Biden has sought to reassure the nation yesterday, saying the variant was a cause for concern, but not a cause for panic. He said he would outline a plan on Thursday to fight Omicron with vaccines and testing, and not with more lockdowns.<br />''<br />''Meanwhile experts have said that it could be two weeks or longer before more lab data emerges as to how well vaccines fight the variant. The W.H.O. has warned that the variant's high number of mutations made it concerning. Moderna and Pfizer were reportedly preparing to reformulate their vaccines if necessary.<br />''<br />''A three-day special session convened by the W.H.O. is underway to discuss a treaty that would ensure prompt sharing of data and technology and equitable access to vaccines.<br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">In a related development, after dropping on Friday, stock markets rose on Monday as investors reconsidered the unknowns of the Omicron variant. Overall, Covid-related market drops are getting milder and shorter.</span><br />