Historian Andy Verhoff didn't see his mother for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year's. But for Mother's Day, he drove from his home in Columbus, Ohio, to spend a day in rural Putnam County, Ohio with her, stopping at the first historical marker they'd worked on together. Both mother and son were vaccinated, giving them the confidence to take their masks off — which made it feel like a normal, pre-pandemic day, Verhoff said.
“We never let the mask get in the way of things,” Verhoff said. “It was just nice to not have my glasses fog up.”
Some long-term care facilities across the country prepared for the special day by facilitating in-person visits, especially as some states have relaxed visitation rules in recent months given rising vaccination rates and dropping case numbers.