OTTAWA -- For the second year in a row, families in Ottawa and across the province are celebrating mothers with a COVID twist.
High case counts across the province and a stay-at-home order still in effect means many will not get the in-person visit with mom they hoped for.
Preparing for a second pandemic Mother’s Day, some Ottawa residents planned ahead to celebrate their loved ones.
"Grandmothers are mothers too, and I think the pandemic has been toughest on them because they can’t see their children or their grandchildren," said Amanda Sterczyk.
She and her family have a COVID-friendly surprise planned for her mom. Nana Joab will be getting a special delivery tea package from Zoe’s, her favourite.
"When I saw they had a takeout afternoon tea, I texted my brother and said why don’t we do this for mom, and why don’t we all grab the kids, put our masks on and show up in the driveway to deliver it to her,” said Sterczyk.
"She’s going to be so excited. I’m just really excited to see her again, I haven’t seen her in quite a while," said Alexandra Joab, her granddaughter.
Mother's Day plans like this comes as COVID-19 trends in the province are moving in the right direction, but cases remain high.
Ontario reported over 2,800 new infections on Saturday, while Ottawa Public Health says 112 more people tested positive in the capital.
"The analogy that I use is that right now the tap has been shut off, but there’s still water in the tub and we’re waiting for that to drain out,” said Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, infectious diseases physician.
"We’re hopeful that this is the last Mother’s Day that we’ll have to spend virtually,” said Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel Region’s medical officer of health.
With Ontario under a stay-at-home order until at least May 20, officials continue to urge people not to gather with those outside your household.
"I know that not everybody is going to do that, and so if you are going to get together with mom and she’s in a different household we want to make sure that you do it as safe as possible and the best way to do that is to keep things outdoors," said Dr. Chakrabarti.
Under Ontario's stay-at-home order, indoor and outdoor gatherings are prohibited, except with members of your household or one other person from outside of the household that lives alone.