(CNN)Canadian Thanksgiving was just last month, and the country has seen consequences as Covid-19 cases
reach record highs. Now, Canadian leaders say Christmas celebrations are in jeopardy.
Thanksgiving in Canada
fell on October 12 this year, and as family and friends gathered, it fueled a widespread surge in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Now, public health officials warned the health care system cannot handle a repeat at Christmas.
"Reducing your contacts, reducing your gatherings are going to be most important. And what we do in the coming days and weeks will determine what we get to do at Christmas," pleaded Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a news conference Friday.
Casual socializing has been a key source of the spread in almost every part of Canada, said Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer.
"An important driver of this increased disease activity continues to be informal social gatherings and activities both inside and outside our homes," Tam said. "In these more relaxed settings such as family gatherings, birthday parties, holiday celebrations and recreational activities, it is natural to relax. But this can mean that it's easy to forget and let our guard down on the necessary precautions."
Tam warned new daily cases could more than double in just a few weeks if Canadians did not take health precautions seriously.
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