Many Albertans seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the province’s latest variant of COVID-19.
Four cases of the new Omicron strain were confirmed by government officials to CTV News. The highly transmissible Kraken strain is becoming dominant in many countries, and some experts suspect Canada won’t be far behind.
But at Calgary International Airport, that doesn’t seem to have changed the behavior of many travelers.
Masks were in short supply Thursday afternoon, and many of those flying said they would not wear a face covering unless it was “absolutely necessary.”
Some experts believe that time is approaching.
“If we could delay (the dominance of the strain) until spring, we would be in a much better place,” said biologist Gosia Gasperovic. “And we could do much, much more.”
Gasperowicz is just one voice currently calling for new public health measures to help prevent the variant.
“We can enforce mask requirements for everyone in public places, in schools and hospitals, etc., because we know it works,” she told CTV News. “The other things we can do is put HEPA air purifiers in public places because they reduce aerosols in the air — especially in enclosed spaces.”
Alberta Health is expected to release updated data on COVID-19 on Friday.
There is no indication that Alberta will go down that path under Premier Daniel Smith.
A statement from her health minister’s office on Thursday touched on the unpredictability of the Kraken strain and echoed the message of many doctors: So much is still unknown about the latest variant and what its burden may cause on medical facilities.
“The vast majority of Alberta and Canadian residents have been infected with Omicron as shown by seroprevalence data,” spokesman Steve Buick said in a statement. “Covid is certainly still putting pressure on hospitals, but proportionally the impact is much less than before.
“That doesn’t mean we’re not at risk: just less risk.”
Alberta Health is expected to release updated data on COVID-19 on Friday.
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