MONTREAL -- Infectious disease specialist Dr. Matthew Oughton is unimpressed that multiple bars and nightclubs in Quebec have decided that this weekend is the time to dance.

"The best way I can describe this is that there's a viral fire going on in the streets of Montreal, and across other parts of Quebec as well, and all of us, unfortunately, are kindling," said Oughton.

"I would ask people, don't throw yourself on the fire that you're in to help us keep the flame down."

Some bars in Montreal and Quebec City have held or are planning dance parties this weekend before new restrictions come into effect Monday.

Blvd44's "La Derniere Danse" party is Sunday night starting at 10 p.m., while Dagobert Nightclub in Quebec City will host an event with the same name in the provincial capital.

"We are expecting you in large numbers," the nightclub wrote on its Facebook page. "For the occasion, we decided to open all floors."

Oughton was quick to caution that drinking, singing, close contact and other activities at clubs are ways the virus has spread.

The Omicron variant has made it even more important to urge on the side of caution, Oughton said.

"There's ample evidence that this particular variant is even more highly infectious than Delta, which was already very infectious," said Oughton.

Kampai Garden in downtown Montreal held a "Happy New Year Whatever" party on Friday night that bled into Saturday night. Videos from the event shared on social media show a packed room of people dancing, drinking and counting down to the "new year."

CAUTIONARY TALE

The Quai des Brumes pub learned how transmisible the virus is the hard way this week.

The pub cancelled live shows planned for this weekend after several people tested positive for COVID-19 following a shows Monday and Tuesday.

"If you have any symptoms or think you have been in contact with someone who tested positive, we strongly suggest you go for a screening test," the post reads.

Oughton hoped that when the province barred fans from the Montreal Canadiens’ game Thursday that restrictions would go into effect immediately.

“It's unfortunate that they weren't already put in place because every day, every hour counts towards what we can do to minimize the size of that storm surge,” said Oughton.

Several hundred anti-restriction protesters gathered at Place-des-Arts Sunday and marched through downtown.

OMICRON LESS DANGEROUS?

Oughton responded to the suggestion that the Omicron variant is not as likely to harm those who catch it and thus not a reason to tighten restrictions.

"It's just very, very simple math here. What drives the consequences to a population, when you're talking about something highly transmissible like a respiratory virus, is how easily it's transmissible," he said.

"Even if it's a little bit less severe, and it transmits to a whole lot more people, then it doesn't take long for that reduction of severity to get overwhelmed by the huge number of people who are sick."

Oughton said that research out of the U.K. shows that hospitalization rates due to the Omicron variant are comparable to previous variants.

"Even if it's a little bit less severe, it's spreading so quickly and so easily that the total number of severe cases are still going to add up," he said.

"When it adds up in a very short span of time, it's the equivalent of being on the ocean and getting hit by a storm surge."

The health-care system, Oughton said, can only absorb so many cases, much like a boat's ability to absorb only so much water.

"Whatever's left over, that's the wave that hits you and that's where you get very serious damage," he said.

"Because it spreads so quickly, it's going to cause these really rapid rises in numbers of cases, numbers of severances, numbers of people requiring hospitalizations, or ICU."