With the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Canada and around the world, attention has focused on large gatherings such as weddings and parties.

But what about smaller get-togethers with family or friends?

"What is really important to avoid is situations where you're in closed, crowded and close contact settings, especially with random people that you don't know," says Vivek Goel, a professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a special adviser to the president and provost who is helping guide the university's COVID-19 planning efforts.

"I often get asked, is it okay to have dinner with friends on a patio? That is fine, as long as everyone is practising the precautions and that you're having dinner with people that you know, and that you can trust are also following precautions."

In episode 28 of his podcast on the pandemic, Goel – a renowned public health expert and founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the 2003 SARS outbreak – explains how social circles are meant to work and how limits on gathering do not remove the need to practise precautions such as distancing and masking.

The COVID-19: What's Next podcast is created by Goel in collaboration with a University of Toronto Communications team led by producer Lisa Lightbourn.

Note: The information in this podcast is current as of the posting date. Listeners should consult their local public health agency for the latest information in their jurisdiction.