Many Canadians are set to miss out on Mother's Day hugs for a second year in a row.
Public officials say it's unsafe to host holiday gatherings this weekend, even as COVID-19 vaccinations seem to open opportunities to celebrate.
The director of public health emergencies in the hot zone of Peel Region, west of Toronto, says she appreciates the heartache many families must feel after more than a year apart.
But Doctor Nazia Peer says ill-advised get-togethers are risky.
Last spring, Ontario's health minister partly blamed improper Mother's Day gatherings for driving up COVID-19 cases in the province.
Peer says there's concern that the Mother's Day fallout could be even worse this year because of more contagious COVID-19 variants.
She says vaccines offer hope but warns that having just one dose of the two-dose series doesn't justify in-person celebrations on Sunday.
Peer says the best gift you can give mom is to follow public health guidelines and get vaccinated.