Canada Just Revealed The Rules For Thanksgiving Gatherings With Family & Friends

Dr. Theresa Tam said to consider asking people you'll be spending time with if they're vaccinated or not.

Senior Writer

It's almost Thanksgiving in Canada and the country's top doctor has revealed how to celebrate the holiday weekend safely with family and friends.

During a COVID-19 update on October 8, Dr. Theresa Tam urged Canadians to keep gatherings small and follow local public health advice but said indoor gatherings can happen and be safer by ensuring people who are eligible to be vaccinated are, in fact, vaccinated.

It might not be easy, but the top doctor is recommending finding out the vaccination status of the people you'll be spending time with this Thanksgiving.

"Ask your family, or if you have people outside of your family that you're thinking of inviting, do try and ask them whether they've been vaccinated or not and take that into account," Tam said.

If people attending a gathering are eligible to get doses but aren't fully vaccinated, she advised that indoor gatherings be limited to just the household or be held outdoors.

Ontario and B.C. have revealed rules around Thanksgiving gatherings this year including how big celebrations should be, when masks aren't necessary and when gatherings should be indoors or outdoors.

Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.

  • Senior Writer

    Lisa Belmonte (she/her) is a Senior Writer with Narcity Media. After graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), she joined the Narcity team. Lisa covers news and notices from across the country from a Canada-wide perspective. Her early coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic earned Narcity its first-ever national journalism award nomination.

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