The emergence of the Omicron variant underscores the need for a fundamental reorientation of the policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though Omicron was discovered in South Africa, it might be difficult at this stage to determine its geographical origin. It is quite likely that by the time Omicron was discovered, it might have already spread to many countries due in part to inadequate levels of genomic sequencing of Covid-19 positive test samples. We also do not have adequate information at this time on whether the emergence of the Omicron variant will prove to be as lethal as the earlier Delta variant, which caused havoc around the world and in India earlier this year. However, we do know that the Omicron variant can be detected only by genomic sequencing. It might potentially evade existing vaccines. In addition, the relatively large number of mutations in this variant might also mean that it might be more contagious than the previous variants like Delta. A more contagious variant might potentially increase the fatality rate by overwhelming public health infrastructure, even if it is less lethal.