Trick-or-treating back, Thanksgiving dinners on (for the vaccinated), Ontario's top doctor says

Trick-or-treating is back andlarge Thanksgiving dinners are on again for those fully vaccinated, Ontario's top doctor said Thursday, as the province reported 587 new COVID-19 cases and five more deaths.

With the long weekend approaching, Dr. Kieran Moore reiterated that Ontario's gathering limits of 100 outdoors and 25 indoors are still in place.

Here's Moore's advice for Thanksgiving:

• No one should attend a gathering if they have even mild symptoms.
• Windows should be kept open, if possible.
• High-touch surfaces should be cleaned and hand sanitizer should be provided.
• If there is a combination of vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the group, attendees should consider keeping masks on indoors, particularly for older people or those with chronic medical conditions.

Moore had touched on some of his recommendations for Thanksgivingearlier this week, saying celebrating indoors and unmasked with a fully vaccinated group is "absolutely appropriate."

As for Halloween, Moore had a few more guidelines:

• Acostume mask is no substitute for a face covering, but parents might consider incorporating a face mask into their children's costumes.
• Doorsteps should not be overcrowded.
• Physical distancing should be maintainedas much as possible.
• Trick-or-treating should be limited to outdoors and interactions should be kept brief.
• Hand sanitizershould be used often, especially before and after handling treats.
• Shouting should be avoided to reduce the spread of aerosols.

Again, the province's top doctor stressed, anyone with symptomseven mildshould stay home.For indoor Halloween parties, the guidance for Thanksgiving gatherings applies.

The province's complete list of guidance can be found here.

WATCH |Ontario's top doctor delivers Halloween guidance:

Ontario's top doctor delivers Halloween guidance

3 years ago

Duration 1:00

Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, has released his advice for safely celebrating Halloween, which includes not overcrowding doorsteps while trick-or-treating, keeping interactions brief and maintaining physical distancing, and regularly using hand sanitizer. Moore also said a costume mask is no substitute for a face covering.

New rules for attending weddings

Moore also indicated Thursday that there have been a number of outbreaks associated with weddings, especially receptions. For that reason, starting Oct. 15, the province will require proof of vaccination or an eligible exception to attend weddings.

The current regulations allowing the unvaccinated to have anegative test ends Tuesday.

Moore also addressed the rising rates of emergency-department visits, which he said have climbed back to around 20,000 per day."They are probably at their maximum in emergency medicine," he said.

As a result, he said the province is encouraging primary care physicians tosupply moredirect, in-person care. Moore said the province hasn't put out a directive to physicians, but is encouraging more of a balance between virtual and in-person care.

Meanwhile, the seven-day average of daily cases continued its downward trend that began in early September, falling again to 565.

Here are some other key pandemic indicators and figures from thedaily provincial update:

Newly reported school-related cases: 121, with106 in students.Some 780schools, or 16.2per cent of Ontario's 4,844 publicly funded schools, currently have at least one confirmed case. Eightschoolsin the province areclosed due to COVID-19.

Patients in ICU with COVID-19:149, with102needinga ventilator to breathe. According to Critical Care Services Ontario, sevennew adult patients with COVID-19 were admitted to intensive care units on Wednesday.

Tests completed in the last 24 hours: 37,057.

Provincewide positivity rate: 1.7per cent.

Active cases:4,575, down about eight per cent from last Thursday.

Death toll: 9,776.

Vaccinations: 25,240doses were administered by public health units on Wednesday.About 81.9per cent of eligible Ontariansaged 12 and older have now hadtwo doses of vaccine.