“Coronavirus fatigue” is real. According to a new poll from IPSOS, half of Canadians says they’re tired of COVID-19 restrictions. Many families sacrificed their traditional Thanksgiving celebrations, but some still chose to gather, with just a few loved ones. We are seeing the consequences now (and likely in the weeks to come) in case spikes across the country.
So what about the upcoming holiday season? Many families want to know if it will it be safe to have just a very small party by then.
Watch the video above to learn if the risks are high or low, should you host a small family gathering, say, for Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s Eve.
“Unfortunately, although we think these small groups of less than 10 seem to be very low risk, the risk goes up once we’re inside, especially with colder weather, and we have absolutely seen outbreaks among small groups of family for birthday parties or other events already,” Kelly Cawcott, infectious disease expert, said in the video.
Over the summer, we were able to enjoy the company of family and other loved ones outdoors, where the risks of contagion were lower. But dining outdoors, for hours at a time, is off the table in many areas now that the colder weather is here.
The safe option that families should be exploring for 2020 holiday togetherness remains video chat. “Virtual gatherings are your best, most effective, safest solution,” said Iahn Gonsenhauser, Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
So there’s our answer: If we want to keep our loved ones and community safe, we need to sacrifice a little longer. Come December 2021, here’s hoping we’ll all be safely gathering in person with our family once again ― and will that ever be a party!
This story originally appeared in HuffPost Canada.
