Start planning now for smaller Thanksgiving, says public health

Waterloo region's top public health official is asking people not to plan largegatherings onThanksgiving this year.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, says large family gatherings will increase the spread of COVID-19.

"The virus is spread by people and it spreads easily in social settings where people might feel more relaxed about following precautions," she said.

Just last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed doubt about the annual harvest holiday, saying that if Canadians take action now"we still have a shot at Christmas."

Wang urged people to consider virtual visits for Thanksgiving or shorter visits without a meal. If people want to eat together, sherecommendedcleaning "high touch surfaces" often during the visit, keep windows open and wash hands, particularly before eating.

"Even if your event is within the provincial indoor and outdoor gathering limits, if there are people from more than one small, social bubble, ensure [they ]are practising physical distancing and wearing masks when not eating or drinking," she said. "Please do not plan larger gatherings. Small is safer."

This follows similar comments from Wang last week regarding Halloween, saying at the time that "we have entered a new wave of infection."

"It was earlier than a lot of us expected," Wang said of the emergence of a second wave of COVID-19 in the region.She added that contact tracing would be an essential part of keeping cases lowandthe region's public health department was already making changes to increase its tracing capacity, including hiring more staff.

"We've had to continue to make adjustments, like a further redeployment of staff in the short term," she said, but couldnot sayhow many new staff would be hired or when.

Enforcement ramping up

On September 25, a $750 ticket was handed outfor a failure to comply with physical distancing and seating regulations, according to public health.

The incident occurred on September 13 at MeltwichFood Co. in Waterloo, they said.

"There's been a lot of education," she said, "and if people are not complying or there's a blatant disregard for requirements [by-law and police]will act," Wang said.

"They're already taking that approach."