A poll by Leger came out this week that suggests 40 per cent of Canadians know a friend or family member that is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and make point of not discussing it with them.
As the holidays approach, that certainly has not been the case in my family.
Pre-pandemic, Christmas Day was 18 family members cosying up in my grandparents’ 1970s house, sharing a huge meal across two tables in two rooms to make sure everyone fit and wrapping the day with board games, football and the World Juniors.
Like most of you, we haven’t been able to do this for some time. As the Omicron variant persists, Premier Jason Kenney and his staff are expected to make an announcement surrounding health guidelines for the holidays. He himself has said that his holiday plans would violate current pandemic measures.
Though the discussion for Christmas began with the idea of renting a bigger space for my family to share a meal and have a bit more breathing room, that is no longer the case.
My grandfather has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) from asbestos exposure during his work as a plumber. He is on oxygen 24/7 and if he were to contract COVID, the results would be disastrous.
Although he, my grandmother and my immediate family have all had two jabs, there are members of my extended family who have chosen to have none.
For this reason, it seems as though I’m headed for pandemic Christmas 2.0.
Whatever your plans are this holiday season, stay safe and healthy.
