All Variants Welcomed in Singapore.

Omicron variant, the COVID-19 variant that can evade vaccines is causing many countries to ban flights from South Africa.

Here’s what you need to know:

• U.S. health officials urge vaccinations as Omicron spreads.
• South Africa, where Omicron was detected, is an outlier on the least vaccinated continent.
• Scientists are studying whether Omicron leads to severe illness.
• Omicron cases are discovered on Amsterdam flights as scientists race to evaluate the threat.
• Israel and Morocco impose bans on all foreign travelers.
• The Omicron variant has an unusually high number of mutations, with more than 30 mutations in the spike protein alone.
• It became dominant very quickly in South Africa in the regions where it’s been found — within a matter of days to weeks, as opposed to months.
• It’s not yet clear whether the Omicron variant is more contagious than the Delta variant.

Even though the world may have COVID-19 fatigue, we must still remember that the virus is still in charge.