Concerns Raised About Lack Of Alberta COVID-19 Data Over Holidays As Canada Tops Two Million Cases

By Chandrayee Roy Choudhury, Canada:

Canada has officially logged more than two million reported cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic as health-care workers brace for a possible post-holiday spike driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.
The government of Canada's health website says total cases count was 2,000,976 as of boxing 🥊 day.
As high as the official figures are, health-care analysts have said the real number of infections is likely far higher. Several provinces have asked people to get tested only if they have symptoms as hospitals and centres have reached their testing limits. Alberta has suggested most people should be using rapid antigen tests instead of booking an appointment for a PCR test to conserve supply for high-risk individuals.
Linda Silas, head of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, said the “big bump” is usually seen two weeks after exposure to the virus, and expressed worries that holiday gatherings could lead to hospitals becoming overwhelmed with new cases.

“We are all bracing for that with fear, and with our fingers and toes crossed,” she said in an interview Monday.