Due to the Omicron Covid variation, the World Economic Forum delayed their meeting at Davos in Switzerland.
Covid caused delays, moves and cancellations of last year’s forum event, the forum announced that the January 17-21 gathering will be held in early summer, without any specifics.
According to the forum, ‘Despite meeting’s strict health protocols, Omicron’s transmissibility and impact on travel, mobility, and travel are making deferral necessary’.
This annual gathering sees leaders from around the world attend extravagant dinners hosted by celebrities, financial experts and royals. Previous guests include George Soros (billionaire investor), Greta Thunberg (climate activist), Prince Charles, and Leonardo DiCaprio, actor.
Police security guards patrol the rooftop of a hotel in advance of the World Economic Forum (Davos) on Monday, January 20, 2020, Switzerland
It comes at a time when some European countries are making tough decisions or imposing new restrictions on rising COVID-19 infections related to omicron.
In response to a rise in infection in the Delta variant, Switzerland announced Friday that it will require proof of Covid recovery or vaccination to enter restaurants and indoor events.
Klaus Schwab, executive chairman and founder of the WEF, stated, “The delay of the annual gathering will not stop progress through continued digitization of leaders business, government, and civil society,”
“Public-private cooperation was a positive development throughout the pandemic. It will keep going.”
The forum still plans to host a ‘digital convening of leaders from business, government and civil society,’ Schwab said.
WEF announced that they would host a series of ‘headline sessions of State of the World’ online for them to discuss global issues.
Last year the meeting was relocated from Davos due to Covid. The event was supposed to take place in Singapore in August, but it was ultimately cancelled.
In 1971, the WEF was established. It aims at ‘improved the state the world’ through the union of business leaders and politicians with charities and other great thinkers.
This event was criticized for being too elite and Boris Johnson prohibited ministers attending December 2019, stating they were not allowed to’sip champagne with billionaires’.
This annual gathering sees leaders from around the world attend extravagant dinners hosted by celebrities, financial experts and royals. Past attendees have included billionaire investor George Soros, climate activist Greta Thunberg (right), Prince Charles (left) and Leonardo DiCaprio (right).
Global equity and oil markets plunged Monday as investors panic about the global measures being taken to stop the spread of this fast-growing variant caused by the cancellation of the WEF annual summit.
Asia fell on concerns about a new global spike in coronavirus infection, sparking an intense renewed selloff in Europe. Wall Street also dropped at the first bell.
One point, oil dropped by five percent as traders worried over what the consequences would be for the world’s energy needs.
The future fate of US President Joe Biden’s huge social spending bill was a shock to the mood. It lost the decisive vote of a moderate Democrat.
Following the surprising weekend departure by Boris Johnson, David Frost’s Brexit minister was a shock to British pound.