Ford government to allow ‘brief hugs’ for old folks at care homes

The new rules will go into place on Jun. 9, 2021, and will be effective regardless of the vaccine status of either the resident or the visitor.

According to CP24, fully-vaccinated residents will also be able to leave their facilities up to overnight for social outings and trips, and those who are severely mobility-impaired will be allowed one general visitor at any given time.

Also, "where both the resident and visitors are fully immunized, close physical contact, including handholding, can now take place safely," said the provincial government in a statement.

To be clear, hugs were allowed before, but now they are allowed even if one or both of the parties hasn't been fully vaccinated currently.

Other recently relaxed restrictions include things like allowing communal dining, indoor events and small gatherings to take place in these facilities.

Canada's restrictions on interactions with residents at long-term care facilities have been very strict by world standards, due perhaps to the fact that these facilities have been where an alarming amount of pandemic-related deaths took place.