Coronavirus: Selkirk residents celebrate Mother’s Day with physically-distanced parade

Some Selkirk, Man., residents took to the streets to help the city’s elderly celebrate Mother’s Day while the COVID-19 pandemic has left families unable to see each other.

About 40 vehicles, including city fire trucks and an ambulance, took a parade route around the small city north of Winnipeg.

“They can’t be with their family and loved ones at this time either, they’re all in self-isolation,” said parade organizer Teri Riley. “We just wanted them to know they’re a big part of the community and they’re not forgotten about.”

The parade group got started about a month ago as a way to help kids celebrate their birthdays while in isolation.

[ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ]

“It’s nice that we can do something like this for the kids and just put a smile on their faces,” Riley said.

Now about 300 people have joined up to help organize or take part in the parades — they’re now doing about three or four a week, Riley said, adding that the group gets requests daily.

“Show some love and affection — just in a different way, you got to kind of roll with it right now and we’re trying to do the best that we can for everybody,” Riley said. “We’re all in this together, and we do care about you, and we [wanted] to wish you a happy Mother’s Day and we hope we put some smiles on people’s faces.”

1:14 Birthday Party Parade

Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:

Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.

Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.

To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.

For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.

JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS REPORT AN ERROR