After pressure from advocacy groups, the provincial government is lifting some of the restrictions in place at long term care homes.

The province has just announced:

• Residents who have been fully immunized can leave their long-term care homes for day and overnight social outings and trips.
• Residents with mobility limitations or health conditions that make participating in outdoor visits highly unlikely or impossible may have one general visitor at a time inside the long-term care home, in addition to an essential caregiver.
• Regardless of resident and visitor vaccination status, brief hugs can now take place. Where both the resident and visitors are fully immunized, close physical contact, including handholding, can now take place safely. It continues to be important that residents and visitors adhere to public health measures in the home, including good hand hygiene and appropriate masking.