Ontario top doctor says to wear masks at Thanksgiving if unvaccinated guests are over

This long weekend, people across Ontario will get together for Thanksgiving. While the COVID-19 situation has improved since this time last year, chief medical officer Dr. Kieran Moore acknowledged that certain precautions should still be taken.

"Every long weekend like this," Dr. Moore said during a press conference on Tuesday, "especially Thanksgiving where it's a social event where we have families getting together, we want to minimize the spread." "But," he continued, "we also want families to embrace the opportunity to get back together for their mental, physical and social well-being."

As CP24 reports, Dr. Moore stated that holding a holiday gathering indoors and unmasked is "absolutely appropriate," so long as everyone is fully vaccinated. This is certainly an improvement from Thanksgiving 2020, where officials urged Ontarians not to hold family dinners or go trick-or-treating.

Dr. Moore did recommend, however, that people wear their masks if there are unvaccinated guests, as a precautionary measure. Ontario's restrictions on large gatherings are still in place, limiting outdoor events to 100 people, and indoor to 25.

The government is expected to provide a full list of recommendations later today.