'The smaller the gathering, the better:' Ottawa residents urged to limit holiday gatherings

Ottawa's medical officer of health is urging residents to limit their social gatherings over the holiday season, as the COVID-19 Omicron variant of concern spreads in the capital.

"I think that the smaller the gathering, the better," said Dr. Vera Etches.

"To prioritize the people that you want to meet with and limit other contacts. We know that vaccination does make a difference for the severity of illness, but it no longer is the case that someone with two doses is less likely to come into contact with Omicron."

Etches says in addition to checking the vaccination status of your guests, add in other protections like opening windows and increasing ventilation, and using well-fitting masks.

The current gathering limits in Ontario are 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors in private settings. Dr. Etches suggested new restrictions on gatherings could be implemented in Ottawa and across Ontario in the lead-up to the holidays.

"My recommendation is have some difficult discussions. Think about what’s most important to you," said Dr. Etches about considering who to gather with over the holidays.

"These are really hard decisions. There are conversations happening in my household right now too. It’s a challenge because we were all looking forward to the holidays and being able to meet with people. I think the bottom line message is the fewer contacts we have, the better at this time."

RAPID TESTS

The medical officer of health says while she's supportive on people using rapid antigen tests before gathering with friends and loved ones over the holidays, there are limits.

"It's really not a guarantee if you have a negative test that, for sure, there is no COVID because sometimes it is a bit early to pick it up," said Etches.

"If you have a positive, we want to make sure it's truly positive by having a confirmative PCR test. If it turns positive, it would mean to isolate, to not participate in the gathering and seek that confirmation."