Omicron's rate of increase could be 'dramatic' as Alta. reports 872 cases of the variant

As more cases of Omicron are identified across Canada, health experts warn the COVID-19 variant could once again push Alberta hospitals to their limits.

Concerns about the variant prompted major events like NHL games to be postponed, and several post-secondary institutions, including the universities of Calgary and Winnipeg, have announced online learning could be a possibility for the new year.

Dr. Noel Gibney, a critical care doctor, told CTV News that provincial leaders seem to be refusing to recognize the threat the new variant could pose.

"I remember with the previous variants we were becoming concerned when we were doubling every seven days, at one point in time with Delta," Gibney said.

"This is doubling every two to three days. So the rate of increase is going to be dramatic to what we have seen before," he added.

For the University of Alberta professor emeritus, while much is not known about Omicron, its transmissibility is enough of a concern.

"I think that the current attitude that our government is taking, while it minimizes anxiety within the community, I think it also sets the stage to significantly increase the rate of infection with Omicron as it comes into the province," Gibney said.

"Instead of trying to pretend that we are not in the middle of a pandemic and that everything is normal, I think that we need to admit that we are still in a pandemic," he added.

Last week, Premier Jason Kenney loosened gathering restrictions to allow for holiday gatherings and offered free rapid tests.

"In some ways, I think we have to expect that probably, virtually everyone is going to be infected by this variant at some point," Kenney said.

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Gibney says the premier may be correct, but it's not the mindset the province should have given Omicron's potential impact on the healthcare system.

"It is very likely that is going to become dominant probably 10 to 14 days from now and then rapidly increase beyond a rate we have seen before," he added. "I don't think that people are necessarily afraid of necessarily getting a milder form of COVID. The challenge is that some people are going to become very ill."

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the province for comment.

According to Gibney, the best answer to preventing serious outcomes is getting booster shots in the arms of those who are already fully vaccinated.

"It truly is critical that we get those boosters out there now because again, remember it takes about 10 to 14 days for those boosters to become very effective to protect us against any form of COVID," the professor said.

The Official Opposition has asked the government to release Omicron modelling and expand booster dose eligibility to better prepare Albertans.

“While other provinces are sharing the data and warning people of what’s to come, in Alberta, we get nothing," said David Shepherd, NDP health critic, last week. "Either the premier and his government have modelling that they’re refusing to share, or they’re making these decisions without data to back them up."

That's why many countries across the world and provinces in Canada are taking cautious approaches when it comes to restrictions, Gibney said.

"(Many jurisdictions) are now trying to minimize the number of serious cases that may spin-off from Omicron," Gibney added. "It's an issue of do you want to take the chance or not?

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"Alberta, on the other hand, appears to be prepared to go full steam ahead," he said.

"Our government is betting that we are not going to get seriously ill and taking that chance.

"It's one thing to bet on the economy. It's another thing to bet on the health population of a province."