New Omicron variant triggers travel bans as fears spread across globe

The WHO suggested the variant could pose greater risks than Delta, which is the world’s most prevalent variant and has fuelled relentless waves of infection on every continent

People wearing masks at a shopping centre in Johannesburg, South Africa (Denis Farrell/AP)

The discovery of a new coronavirus variant has sent a chill through much of the world as nations raced to halt air travel, markets fell sharply and scientists held emergency meetings to weigh the exact risks, which were largely unknown.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) panel named the variant Omicron and classified it as a highly transmissible virus of concern, the same category that includes the Delta variant.