As some local families may be preparing to gather for a festive feast this coming Thanksgiving Weekend, our Region’s Medical Officer of Health is out with a gentle reminder to keep gatherings small to minimize the potential for spread of COVID-19.
Speaking during the most recent COVID-19 community update, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said she expects the provincial government will be releasing its own recommendations for Thanksgiving, though she cautioned that it’s important to remember the “multiple layers” of protection have proven effective in preventing the spread of the virus to protect family and loved ones.
“There will be people who, for example, are fully vaccinated and choose to gather with others who are fully vaccinated in a smaller gathering – and that is definitely a lot safer than in a large gathering in a mix of people with unknown vaccination status.”
Calling vaccination the strongest layer of protection to protect oneself against the risk of COVID-19, Dr. Wang also spoke to the value of other public health measures like distancing, masking and keeping gatherings small – as she urged that local residents should avoid attending or hosting Thanksgiving events with any sort of COVID-19 symptoms, even if they’re mild in severity.
“The more we add those layers, the more that protects us and our loved ones – and if we don’t have many of those layers, then it’s riskier.”
Under the current health measures of the Reopening Ontario Act, indoor social gatherings are limited to 25 people in attendance, while outdoor social gatherings are permitted for up to 100 people.
During that community update, Dr. Wang also acknowledged that there remains to be those that do not respect provincial regulations and “put themselves at others at risk”, though she issued praise for the overall community effort in protecting ourselves and loved ones.
“What we see with delta is that it continues to really seek out individuals most often in groups that are largely unvaccinated. That’s where it will spread quickly.” said Dr. Wang.
“The more we don’t apply those practices, especially if we’re doing it together in a group (…) we really significantly increase the risk of getting infected and spreading it to others. What we often see then is spread within close family or social settings to others that may be more fragile from a health perspective, and they get really sick. We see that every single day over and over again.”
