Last yearB次元官网网址檚 FatherB次元官网网址檚 Day snuck up quickly on Raywat Deonandan, coming five weeks after the birth of his first child Harrison, and three months into a global pandemic.

While CanadaB次元官网网址檚 first wave of COVID-19 had started to recede by June 2020, experts like Deonandan, an epidemiologist with the University of Ottawa, were still learning about the new virus then.

A year later, with several effective vaccines available, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 COVID-19 burden has been substantially alleviated, opening opportunities for families to enjoy this FatherB次元官网网址檚 Day in safer ways than holidays before.

Risk is still there for anyone who gathers, and public health measures shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be tossed aside, Deonandan said. But heB次元官网网址檚 hopeful this will be one of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 last holidays under a COVID-19 cloud.

B次元官网网址淢aybe I should take note of the fact that this will be the end of my pandemic FatherB次元官网网址檚 Days and celebrate in some strange way,B次元官网网址� he said with a laugh.

Deonandan isnB次元官网网址檛 sure yet how heB次元官网网址檒l commemorate Sunday, but it wonB次元官网网址檛 involve visiting his 80-year-old father in Toronto B次元官网网址� a lengthy drive for a one-day trip.

He said families living in closer proximity should be able to safely see their dads this weekend however, with some caveats.

The vaccination status of patriarchs and their progeny will impact risk, he said, as will the level of COVID-19 circulating in the community.

Regions with recent outbreaks, including OntarioB次元官网网址檚 Waterloo health unit, should be more cautious regardless of their inoculation levels, Deonandan said, likening vaccine protection to wearing rainboots in a flood.

B次元官网网址淚f the floodwaters are high enough, they get over the lip of your boots and they get your feet wet,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪o as long as the disease presence isnB次元官网网址檛 above a certain level, the vaccines will protect most people.B次元官网网址�

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 average daily case count has dropped almost 85 per cent and hospitalizations have decreased by 60 per cent from the peak of the third wave, chief medical officer Dr. Theresa Tam said this week.

Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious disease specialist in Mississauga, Ont., said that while FatherB次元官网网址檚 Day gatherings will carry some risk, low case counts and high vaccine uptake means family events are safer now than they were just weeks ago.

Chakrabarti, who has daughters aged 2 and 3, is hosting his London, Ont.-parents this Sunday while following public health measures. It will be the first time his daughters see their grandparents since August.

B次元官网网址淔amily, friends, theyB次元官网网址檙e so important for mental health, for kidsB次元官网网址� development, and that was taken away from us the past year,B次元官网网址� Chakrabarti said. B次元官网网址淪o bringing that back into life, it shows things are getting better and we have a lot to look forward to.B次元官网网址�

While young children who arenB次元官网网址檛 vaccinated can pose a risk to grandparents, danger is lessened when community spread is low, Chakrabarti said. Risk can be decreased further with distancing, masking or keeping the gathering outdoors.

Deonandan said itB次元官网网址檚 better to have distanced visits between children and their grandparents, but hugs can be safe with masks.

B次元官网网址淛ust no wet kisses,B次元官网网址� he added.

Deonandan warned not to consider fully-vaccinated grandfathers B次元官网网址渂ulletproof,B次元官网网址� however, especially in COVID-19 hot spots where children could be asymptomatic carriers.

B次元官网网址淭he probability (of spread) is low. Vaccines offer good protection B次元官网网址� but do you really want to roll that dice?B次元官网网址�

Nearly 75 per cent of Canadians aged 12 and up had received at least one dose of a vaccine as of Tuesday, with 16 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.

That means FatherB次元官网网址檚 Day gatherings could include a smattering of fully, partially or non-vaccinated participants, which Chakrabarti said can dictate how safe an event will be.

B次元官网网址淚f the majority of the group is unvaccinated, keep it small and outdoors or stick to your own household,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut if more people in the group have one or two doses, the risk is not zero but itB次元官网网址檚 incrementally reduced.B次元官网网址�

Dr. Ilan Schwartz, an infectious disease expert with the University of Alberta, said people will have to do their own B次元官网网址渞isk calculusB次元官网网址� before popping in on Papa, adding the benefit of being together may outweigh the danger for some families.

Even a single dose of a two-dose vaccine offers good protection, especially against severe disease and death, Schwartz said. But circulation of the more transmissible Delta variant could complicate things.

Recent data from the United Kingdom suggests the vaccines work well in staving off severe infection caused by the new variant, but a complete two-dose series is better than one shot.

Schwartz said what we know about Delta cases is concerning, but itB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渘ot necessarily reason to panic.B次元官网网址� That could change if more outbreaks arise.

Schwartz celebrated FatherB次元官网网址檚 Day last weekend because his wife, a respiratory therapist who travels between Edmonton and Winnipeg, was home.

He had breakfast in bed alongside his 7- and 4-year-olds, but he couldnB次元官网网址檛 visit his own father who lives in Manitoba.

B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 seen my parents in 17 months,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut weB次元官网网址檙e looking forward to a family reunion at the end of the summer B次元官网网址� when all the adults are fully vaccinated.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擬elissa Couto Zuber, The Canadian Press