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Christmas will be different even if Santa is ‘probably’ immune to COVID, says B.C. top doctor

‘We can find ways to do this safely that will protect the elders in our family’
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Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry arrives to the podium for a press conference in the press theatre at Legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Dr. Bonnie Henry says while Santa Claus is “probably” immune to COVID-19, Christmas will still look just a little different this year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito

While Santa Claus is “probably” immune to the novel coronavirus, B.C.’s top doctor is warning that a pandemic Christmas will still look different this year.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a news conference Thursday (Nov. 12) that there won’t be a vaccine by Christmas so gatherings will need to be smaller than holidays in years past. Meanwhile, she said researchers are learning the virus spreads more easily indoors.

“We can find ways to do this safely that will protect the elders in our family. Yes, we can see them, but we can’t be together in the same way,” she said.

As for Father Christmas? “He’ll be washing his hands a lot, and he probably won’t be eating cookies and milk in every house this year, but we’ll find ways of making it work.”

On Thursday B.C. surpassed 20,000 test-positive cases since the virus – which currently has no vaccine or cure – touched down in the province in January.

READ MORE: B.C. records roughly 1,100 new COVID-19 infections in 2 days


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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