Be 'ready to pivot' domestic holiday travel plans amid rapidly spreading omicron variant, medical experts say

The rapidly spreading omicron coronavirus variant means Canadians should be "ready to pivot" their travel plans within the country during this holiday season, said medical experts studying COVID-19.

"If [you] can avoid travel, avoid it," said Dr. Peter Juni, the head of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table. "We just need to really seriously cut down on our contact."

And to those who've already purchased plane or train tickets for domestic travel, he said he has one question:  "Can you cancel still?"

Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has said the omicron variant caseload could "rapidly escalate" in the coming days, and that it's on its way to becoming the dominant coronavirus strain in Canada.

WATCH | Tam explains why its important to take precautions despite omicron's unknown severity:

It's considered highly contagious and can infect those who have been vaccinated, but early reports suggest it may pose a less severe risk of hospitalization.

Juni noted that even those who have been vaccinated twice may be at risk at getting infected or transmitting the virus within the confines of a plane or train.

David Naylor, co-chair of the COVID-19 Immunity Task Force suggested people who do decide to travel in coming weeks exercise more caution and look for alternatives to their modes of travel to avoid being in cramped quarters.

"I completely understand that, for all kinds of personal reasons, many Canadians will want to travel in the next three weeks," Naylor said in an email to CBC News. "If you can avoid travel or get where you want to go in a private car with a limited number of trusted passengers, so much the better."

Naylor noted Canadian regulations require everyone 12 and older on a plane, train, or ship to be fully vaccinated. He also said air filtration on planes is generally efficient and in-flight transmission of COVID-19 has been rare, so far.

"With Omicron, I suspect that may change, and train rides are also riskier now," he said. "So again, please mask carefully, and limit the time that your mask is off during the flight or train rides."

Naylor also recommended limiting holiday gatherings to family and trusted friends who have received two or three COVID-19 vaccines.

"I would not set a specific limit on numbers in those circumstances, but the bigger the gathering, the higher the risk that omicron or delta will crash the party," he said.

Vaccination status is key, said University of Toronto epidemiologist Dr. Jeff Kwong, and everyone travelling by air or train should ideally have three doses — or at least two, if they are only eligible for two. But travellers can also be safer by wearing high quality N95 or KF94 masks, he said.