The World Economic Forum is postponing its annual meeting in Davos over concerns about the Omicron variant

• The World Economic Forum is postponing its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
• The forum cited concerns over the Omicron variant, which is leading to rising cases worldwide.

The World Economic Forum is postponing its annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland, next month over concerns about the Omicron variant.

The forum announced Monday that it will move the meeting, originally scheduled to take place January 17-21, to early summer 2022. The current pandemic situation makes it "extremely difficult to deliver a global in-person meeting," the forum said in a statement.

"Despite the meeting's stringent health protocols, the transmissibility of Omicron and its impact on travel and mobility have made deferral necessary," the forum said.

This is the second year in a row that the pandemic has interfered with the forum's prestigious annual meeting, which draws billionaires, CEOs, politicians, and thought leaders from all over the world. The forum initially $4 and moved the location to Singapore, but $4 after a rise in COVID cases in the city-state. The forum also $4 in January 2021.

The Omicron variant is currently "raging through the world," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House's chief medical adviser and the nation's top infectious disease expert, $4. While Fauci isn't anticipating widespread lockdowns, $4 and businesses like $4 amid an $4.