Sask. needs to proceed cautiously into 2022 with Omicron on the rise: Dr. Shahab

Saskatchewan's top doctor says that the province needs to be cautious as the holiday season approaches. 

In a year-end interview, Dr. Saqib Shahab said the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron coronavirus variant in Saskatchewan may be low right now, but that could change rapidly. 

The chief medical health officer pointed to the rapidly evolving situations in other provinces across Canada.

With many questions lingering around the newest virus variant, he recommended everyone get fully vaccinated, and get a booster dose once they're able to. 

"We should all think how lucky we are to be in Saskatchewan and in Canada, to be able to actually offer boosters now with a three month interval," Shahab told CBC's Sam Maciag.

"We need to take advantage of this opportunity and get boosted as quickly as we can."'

While this holiday season is different from the last, that it doesn't mean anyone should throw caution to the wind, he said.

At the end of 2020, Saskatchewan was experiencing a record spread of COVID-19.

In response, officials implemented restrictions on gatherings, allowing only members of a single household to gather in homes over the Christmas holidays.

The decision was necessary at that point, but it doesn't need to be repeated this year, said Shahab.

He pointed to the high rates of vaccination, the relatively low number of cases in the province right now and the general abundance of rapid testing kits. 

"I would really recommend … every time we go into a gathering, everyone should test themselves. If you know you're asymptomatic or test negative, that's a great reason to feel reassured," Shahab said. 

While 2021 is nearing its end, the effects of the year's events will be long lasting. 

The province recorded the deadliest single month of the pandemic in October, during the depths of a Delta-fuelled fourth wave, and 27 intensive care patients had to be airlifted to Ontario for treatment.