KITCHENER -- Health experts are urging everyone to limit the upcoming holiday celebrations to those you live with.
Lucas Dempsey, a Waterloo student from Woodstock, said his plans are cancelled due to COVID-19.
"I was going to visit our family," he said. "I just found out that my aunt had tested positive."
Things will look a lot different for many people this year, with some shifting to virtual celebrations rather than gathering in person.
Health officials are urging people to only get together with immediate family, but a new survey shows not everyone will. According to the Angus Reid Institute poll, three in 10 Canadians plan to visit friends and family locally. One in 10 said they will travel to different communities to do so.
"There's a core group of people where no amount of messaging is going to deter them from their plans," said Shachi Kurl, executive director with the Angus Reid Institute.
Dylan Pedro is flying home to Bermuda this week.
"Christmas is a big thing, so I'm only going to go home once," he said.
He also said he will self-isolate when he returns to Canada.
"I'm doing online classes, so I'll just be chilling," he said.
Experts are concerned things could get worse if everyone visits people over the holidays.
"Our health system would crash," Dr. Firas Khalid said. "The more we put stress on it, the less likely it is to sustain the ability to deliver the needed health care services to everybody that needs them at the right time."
Dr. Khalid suggests looking at the bigger picture.
"This is not going to be the norm for the rest of our lives," he said. "This is just a temporary situation."
Local health officials said celebrating within your own household is the safest route this year.
