Officials caution against Mother’s Day gatherings for 2nd year in a row

Many Canadians are set to miss out on Mother’s Day hugs for a second year in a row.

Public officials say it’s unsafe to host holiday gatherings this weekend, even as COVID-19 vaccinations seem to open opportunities to celebrate.

The director of public health emergencies in the hot zone of Peel Region, west of Toronto, says she appreciates the heartache many families must feel after more than a year apart.

But Doctor Nazia Peer says ill-advised get-togethers are risky.

“The best gift we can give our moms at the moment is: If you haven’t been vaccinated, to vaccinate, but also put in the public health guidelines and implement them,” says Peer.

Late last May, Ontario’s health minister partly blamed improper Mother’s Day gatherings for driving up COVID-19 cases, thereby delaying any easing of provincial lockdown restrictions.

Peer said public health officials are concerned that the Mother’s Day fallout could be even worse this year as more contagious variants of the COVID-19 virus have fuelled a surge that’s flooding hospitals across the country.

While vaccines offer hope for holidays to come, it’s important that people don’t mistake the first of a two-dose series as sufficient to celebrate as usual this weekend, says Peer.

“At this stage, one dose is not enough to protect your mom,” she says, recommending Canadians stick to virtual and long-distance hugs until case numbers drop and more people are fully immunized.

Ontario’s Associate Medical Officer of Health said that while daily COVID-19 case numbers are headed down, hospitals still face serious capacity issues.

Dr. Barbara Yaffe said she would be surprised if the economy fully reopens in two weeks when the province’s current stay-at-home order is to lift on May 20.

“Whatever is planned, hopefully, will be done very gradually and slowly,” she said. “We don’t want a wave four.”