When it comes to dating, Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry says now is the time that we need to be careful.

Henry says those people that we have been talking to online, these are our opportunities, but we need to be very careful and make sure that we follow the guidance around things like hand washing.

“If you are going to start a relationship with somebody this is not the time to do rapid serial dating. So, pick somebody, see if it works and take your time.”

“If you’re going to be pulling them into your small circle then make sure that you’re the only one in their circle as well. And we talk about the contacts and the fact that the people I have contact with, it means that I am contacting their contacts too.”

Henry says kissing somebody comes with risk. “In terms of kissing, yes absolutely, this is a respiratory virus that is spread through droplets. So yes, we have seen it with other diseases that can be spread this way. So, I would suspect that if someone is sick with it and they were kissing somebody else they could actually quite effectively pass it on that way.”

“I think the really important thing, and I’m laughing a little bit because I am thinking about the young people in my life who are concerned about missing some of the occasions that they might meet others, and yes we can do that, we have to do that. We are social people, we need that. But, let’s do it in small and thoughtful ways. Also, let’s be really concerned about ourselves and if we are feeling unwell or under the weather, put it off for another day, that’s the really important thing right now.”

“Now that we can’t go to bars and clubs and things, going out to the park and sitting at a distance and have picnics, those are the new romantic things people are doing and you know, that’s an okay thing too.”