The Angus Reid Institute says, while most people are planning a more solitary rather than merry Christmas, a significant segment of the population plans to visit people outside their household, either locally or out of province. In its latest survey, about 30 percent of those asked say they will be visiting friends and family outside of their households locally.

The Institute says, this includes 35 per cent in both Alberta and Quebec where daily numbers of new COVID-19 infections are regularly setting records. The pollster says, potentially even more disturbing is that one-in-ten Canadians. Including more than one-in-eight Albertans and one-in-seven Quebecers, are still planning to travel outside of their communities for the holidays.

81 per cent Canadians are concerned about their friends and family becoming sick. Those who are not concerned are twice as likely to say that they will be seeing friends and family both locally and outside of their home community during the holidays.

On the financial side, 70 per cent of people are worried about their own finances and how they will be affected in the coming months. The concerns are common everywhere but are more acute in our province as well as in Alberta and Ontario.