{"id":240924,"date":"2021-05-09T15:04:22","date_gmt":"2021-05-09T22:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=240924"},"modified":"2021-05-09T15:16:52","modified_gmt":"2021-05-09T22:16:52","slug":"mothers-day-responsibly-wear-a-mask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/mothers-day-responsibly-wear-a-mask\/","title":{"rendered":"MOTHER\u2019S DAY RESPONSIBLY: WEAR A MASK"},"content":{"rendered":"

By SUNITA SOHRABJI\/EMS Contributing Editor<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Carmela Bernal vividly remembers \u201cEl Dia de la Madre\u201d Mother\u2019s Day celebrations of her childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole family would get together in my uncle\u2019s backyard: 20, 30 people and lots of kids,\u201d said the fledgling artist, who grew up in San Bruno, California. \u201cUncle would bring out his guitar and we children would sing songs for our mothers and give them bouquets of flowers that we picked around the neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then the feast: so much good food!\u201d said Bernal, noting that the men of the family would preside over a barbecue with lots of fixings.<\/p>\n

Bernal\u2019s mother and aunts collectively raised her and her siblings and cousins, who floated in and out of each other\u2019s homes. \u201cSo, we honored all the women who raised us together,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

In Mexico, \u201cEl Dia de la Madre\u201d is always celebrated on May 10: a special mass is conducted that day, and wealthy families hire mariachi bands to serenade the women. But for the Bernal family, Mother\u2019s Day is celebrated in accordance with U.S. customs, on the second Sunday of May.<\/p>\n

Last year, Bernal\u2019s extended family gave up its celebrations as the COVID-19 pandemic made its presence known in the U.S. Bernal nonetheless managed to gather a bouquet of flowers for her mother from gardens in the neighborhood and cooked her a meal from pantry supplies. The Bernal family will forgo their feast this year as well, as many family members have not yet received the COVID vaccine.<\/p>\n

While the Bernal family is choosing not to gather, this Mother\u2019s Day 2021 may be the first time some families get together to celebrate after their COVID-19 vaccinations.<\/p>\n

And thankfully, new public health guidance allows fully vaccinated people to gather in small groups. Specifically, for small outdoor gatherings, fully vaccinated persons are not required to wear face coverings while unvaccinated persons are. Regardless of vaccination status, face coverings are still required indoors.<\/p>\n

Rosamie Bagam, an LVN and mother of two girls, celebrates Mother\u2019s Day with her family on the second Sunday of December, in keeping with the customs of the Philippines. \u201cI don\u2019t have to negotiate with the other nurses to get Mother\u2019s Day off,\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

Her daughters and husband bring her a bouquet of pink carnations \u2014 the traditional flower for Mother\u2019s Day in her home country \u2014 and spoil her with a homemade lunch. \u201cI don\u2019t even have to clean up afterwards,\u201d joked Bagam.<\/p>\n

Dr. Dali Fan, Health Science Clinical Professor at UC Davis and a volunteer vaccinator at a clinic on the California Northstate University campus in Elk Grove, California, said he will celebrate Mother\u2019s Day with his mother, mother-in-law, wife, and children, but with caution, as mandated by his mother who wants to minimize her exposure to other people.<\/p>\n

Fan suggested celebrating Mother\u2019s Day as families might have done in pre-pandemic days, but by also incorporating current masking guidelines.<\/p>\n

The California Dept. of Public Health issued new guidance May 3 on mask-wearing following the U.S.\u00a0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s updated outdoor masking guidelines at the end of April. The changes came in recognition of the low transmission rates (less than 10 percent) that occur outdoors, along with the increasing number of people being vaccinated.<\/p>\n

While fully vaccinated people may forego masks outside when alone or with other vaccinated people, masks are still necessary in stores, malls, churches, gyms and other indoor venues and crowded outdoor venues for extra protection, especially as variants remain a threat and vaccination status of others is unknown.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the key reasons we are aiming to beat the pandemic is to restore normalcy,\u201d Fan said. \u201cWe vaccinate people to normalize our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mothers should \u201cabsolutely\u201d be taken out to brunch or dinner, said Fan, noting that outdoor dining, with its advantage of ventilation, is preferable to indoor dining.<\/p>\n

Those who are fully vaccinated and plan to gather or dine outdoors this Mother\u2019s Day should follow the statewide guidelines found here: https:\/\/www.cdph.ca.gov\/Programs\/CID\/DCDC\/Pages\/COVID-19\/COVID-19-Public-Health-Recommendations-for-Fully-Vaccinated-People.aspx<\/p>\n

Unvaccinated children may still get infected and could be asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19, said Fan, advising that kids too should keep their masks on and observe social distancing protocols. Masks should be worn indoors when socializing with people from multiple households who are not vaccinated, he said.<\/p>\n

Dr. Tung Nguyen, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, is a bit more cautious. \u201cGiven that we don\u2019t know about new variants \u2014 I would recommend that people continue to practice social distancing, at least with people who are not vaccinated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

But all doctors would agree that the most important thing is to let your mother know she is loved, in whatever manner possible.<\/p>\n

For more information about California\u2019s masking guidelines, go to covid19.ca.gov. To register to get your vaccination, you can go to MyTurn.ca.gov or call the COVID-19 Hotline at 1-833-422-4255 where translators are available in 250+ languages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By SUNITA SOHRABJI\/EMS Contributing Editor Carmela Bernal vividly remembers \u201cEl Dia de la Madre\u201d Mother\u2019s Day celebrations of her childhood. \u201cThe whole family would get together in my uncle\u2019s backyard: 20, 30 people and lots of kids,\u201d said the fledgling artist, who grew up in San Bruno, California. \u201cUncle would bring out his guitar and…<\/p>\n

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