This Mother's Day will be 'one for the history books,' but still ways to show you care: chief nursing officer

Mother's Day will look a bit different this year, with restrictions still in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.

But Manitoba Shared Health Chief Nursing Officer Lanette Sirgusa said there are still ways to show Mom you care.

"It will be a Mother's Day we won't soon forget. It's one for the history books," she said during the province's daily briefing on COVID-19 Friday.

"We really want to encourage people to show their love in creative ways."

Siragusa suggests messaging or video-chatting online, meeting through window panes, or visiting your mother outside, and at a physical distance, provided everyone is healthy and not showing any COVID-19 symptoms.

Manitobans whose moms are in a hospital or a care home can still drop off gifts of food.

All food should be in plastic containers that are wipeable and disposable.

Gifts of clothing are also a good option, provided they can be put in the laundry, she said.

Communcation devices like personal tablets or phones that can be wiped are also a good option.

People should contact the facility if they have a different type of gift they would like to give to see what's allowed, but it's best to stick to gifts like food and clothing, she said.

"They really don't want a lot of delivery people showing up," she said, adding the rules might vary between sites.

Siragusa said officials are looking to modify visitor restrictions at hospitals and care homes in the "near future" as Manitoba gets back to "a semblance of normalcy."

"This pandemic has really caused us to look at what's important in our lives," she said.