Tough conversations days before Thanksgiving
With the provincial health restrictions currently in place, prohibiting unvaccinated people from gathering in homes, some families may be faced with tough decisions and conversations about how to deal with members who haven’t yet received their shots.
Alice Potkins says she will be abiding by the rules and have a small gathering with her brother’s family. They are all vaccinated so she wouldn’t have to exclude anyone but says if a member wasn’t, she wouldn’t know how to handle it.
“That’s a tough one isn’t it?” said Potkins.
“It depends on how close I am to that family member but I like them all, I love them all so what do you do?”
Thanksgiving file photo
'GIVE THEM A BOOT'
Larry Krause was on his way out of the grocery store picking up last-minute Thanksgiving Day items and says he would be strict with unvaccinated family members wanting to join for dinner.
“I’d give them a boot and say go get it (a vaccination).”
Vardit Ravitsky a bioethicist with the University of Montreal says many families might be faced with this dilemma. However, she says having restrictions in place versus not having them, like some jurisdictions in Canada, might be beneficial and encourage people to have important discussions. Ravitsky says the restrictions gives family members a reason to speak with loved ones and friends who aren’t vaccinated or provide an excuse to not have unvaccinated people over if they feel uncomfortable.
“I think we're all struggling with how to not deepen this social divide while keeping ourselves safe,” she said.
“We're dancing a very complex dance here and in a way being judgmental, but trying to sound still respectful of people's choices.”
CURRENT HEALTH MEASURES
The current health measures only allows eligible vaccinated people to gather in a home. Up to two households can be inside with a maximum of 10 people. There are no restrictions for children under 12. Outdoor gatherings have a limit of 20 people. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said in a press conference Friday that the curve is bending but that especially in the prairie provinces, precautions need to be taken.
“I think over this weekend, previously, we have seen surges in cases after these holiday events. So this year with a vaccine on board, I think we should be on a better, more solid footing. But we can't, you know, be too careful when it comes to this formidable foe,” she said.
Ravitsky offers some pointers on how to address the issue of unvaccinated people wanting to come over. She says addressing the issue face-to-face is better than on social media to avoid more tension, remember the person you are speaking to is someone you care about and to approach the topic in an empathetic way rather than being judgemental.
“Let's try to not sacrifice family life and relationships and let's try as much as possible to remain respectful of the fact that people have concerns,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.