How the world is responding to Omicron

Fourth booster dose in Israel, lockdown in parts of China -- several countries have stepped up measures to curb coronavirus spread amid rising cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19. Read on to know how the world is responding to Omicron.

Covid-19 variant Omicron has become a party pooper ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations as coronavirus cases are surging in several countries. While India has sounded an alert, countries such as the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, China and Israel are witnessing rapid increase in cases of Covid-19 due to Omicron.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated it as the "Variant of Concern". The WHO has called for strict curbs to check the impact of the highly transmissible virus.