Grandparents may be separated from their families again in an attempt to mitigate COVID-19 riskBy Erin Pepler | September 4, 2020

As my mother-in-law walked into our backyard on a sun-drenched August afternoon, my daughter quickly ran into her arms. “Nana!” she cried out, smiling happily as a flurry of kisses were placed on her head. A few moments later, my mother-in-law turned to me for a hug, whispering, “We should get this in while we can, I guess.” It was bittersweet, soaking in a warm, late summer day as a family, knowing all the while that our social bubble was about to burst.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Canada in March, my family took public health guidelines seriously. We stayed home, practiced social distancing while shopping for groceries and other necessities, and started wearing masks when necessary. As the weeks went on, we found ways to visit with friends and family in small, outdoor settings with plenty of space. Eventually, we created a social bubble that included my mother (who lives with us), my in-laws and my sister’s family of three.

While my family is definitely on the more cautious side, it’s with good reason. My mother and father-in-law have medical conditions that put them in the high-risk category. So does my father, who isn’t in our bubble but still visits with us outdoors. All of my kids’ grandparents are in a high-risk age group, and I have asthma.

But when our kids return to school next week, our bubble will go from a carefully crafted, tight-knit group to an open-ended web that includes several teachers, hundreds of children and inherently, their friends and families. Simply put, we no longer know who we’re connected to or how they’re mitigating risk. Despite reassurances from the provincial government, there isn’t enough space in most classrooms to allow for adequate social distancing, and masks are only provincially mandated for Grades 4 and up. Case numbers in Ontario have been climbing for over a week and in Peel Region, a teacher has already tested positive for COVID-19. 

more… https://broadview.org/covid-19-school-bubbles/